Bathing Beauty
by jaed621
Summary: A bath that changes everything. BB Tastefully sexually explicit. Please Read and Review.
1. Chapter 1

Bathing Beauty

Disclaimer: They are not mine but I treat them as if they were…

**Warning: Rated M for sexually explicit scenes.**

A/N: I have been so tame in my last two stories that I had to do a little story for my own amusement. This is for you BonesDBchippie, I hope you feel better. Please feel free to review, I always like to know what every one is thinking.

Temperance shut the door to the bathroom and sighed deeply. This had been a long day and she was exhausted, all she really wanted was to be at home but since she was stuck in this hotel a hot bath was the next best thing. She had endured a long silent ride with Booth, he had wanted to talk but she needed to study the file and it was a good thing that she had, the extrication took 11 hours in cold muddy ground that from the scent of it had once been cow pastures and the bones had been scattered. She had been up for too long, she smelled like manure, mud and decomposition and she wanted to shower and then sink into a hot bath. She couldn't remember what it felt like to be warm. She tried to stretch her aching muscles as she ran the water, her head too full of random thoughts and images. She stripped, allowing herself the luxury of leaving her clothes on the floor and stepped into the water. Her shower was quick and functionary and she finished quickly, stepping out and into a towel while she filled the deep tub with hot water. She poured in a stress pack and felt herself begin to relax as the aromas of vanilla and hyacinth filled the bathroom.

She turned off the light, leaving a small emergency light glowing in the outlet near the sink; the room sank into a soft dim glow. She stepped back into her hotel room and poured herself a glass of wine, then returned and dropped her robe. She sat on the edge and sipped her wine, easing herself into the hot water, moving as gingerly as she could, she gasped as the water slid up past her hips. A deep sigh escaped her as she leaned back, letting the heat seep into her. She loved being in the water, she always had, from swimming to bathing it didn't matter; it was her most comforting indulgence. Relaxing into herself she released the hold she had on her brain and let her thoughts rush through her. She finished off her glass of wine and leaned back, closing her eyes and feeling the cool liquid slide into her. After all the thoughts about work had died down her attention floated around, finally settling, like a leaf when the breeze has ceased, on Seeley Booth.

She liked to think of him naked, standing before her while her hands moved over him. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair, stroke the stubble along his jaw and brush her thumb over his lips. In her mind she kissed his eyelids and felt his lashes flutter against her lips, she laid her hands on the flat plains of his chest, smoothed them over the taunt skin, taking a moment to relish in the warmth of the muscles she could feel moving under her touch. She wrapped her hands around his arms, stretched out her thumb and index finger as though measuring and outlined his magnificent arms. She grazed her nails lightly down the front of him, over his dark nipples which tightened into his skin, over the rise of his ribs and across his deeply defined stomach muscles. In her fantasy he stood for her, while she dipped her finger into his navel and dragged her fingertips over the silky trail that led to his penis. She circled his hip bones, delicately fingered the skin in the crease of his leg, spread her fingers and ran her hands over his thigh muscles, squeezed them and watched how small her hand appeared against leg. She took the pads of her fingers and felt each dip around his knee cap, slid her hands down and around to cup his calves and let her index fingers run all the way past his Achilles tendon to the floor. She wanted to absorb him, his structure, his texture, his scent.

Her own hands were drifting over her body and she sighed heavily, knowing she had promised herself she would stop thinking of him like this, but she didn't want to stop, not really. She bent her leg, resting it against the side of the tub and went back to her thoughts, her thoughts of him, so beautiful in a way he would never understand himself. She was moving her hands back up his legs, the hair tickling her palm and making her smile. Her long fingers moved around to the back of his legs, stroking up until she could knead the cheeks of his ass in her hands, the sculpted muscle was solid under her pressing touch. She brought her hands around and wrapped her slender fingers around his thick shaft, a deep moan rumbled from his chest. Her hands moved over his length, grazing every ridge, tracing each vein and folding tightly over the smooth head, the heavy sexual scent of him filled her. She dropped one hand down and lifted the weight of his balls into her palm, squeezing gently and as though in answer his penis pushed into her other hand.

Her own hands were moving quickly now, the water level slapping softly against the sides of the tub from her actions, her own moans filling the room. She closed her eyes tightly and behind them she saw him, fully erect he throbbed in her hand and she looked up at him, his eyes so intense with desire her own body began to arch in response. He pulled her toward him, the rough skin of his hand closing over her breast as his mouth closed over hers. She was gasping and moaning as the orgasm rocked through her, her legs pressed out lifting her hips into the cool air, the porcelain hard against her shoulder blades as another wave rose up her body. She removed her hand from between her legs, panting, seeking cooler air. She had not gotten far in the fantasy tonight, sometimes he kissed her, touched her, entered her, but it was rare she lasted that long. To think of him entering her was almost too much to bear. She opened her eyes and sucked in her breath, a yelp escaping her lips. There standing next to the tub, in his suit, with his eyes wide and his lips parted was Seeley himself.

"I…I…the key card…I thought…my room…I couldn't…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

You know the drill: button, thoughts, happy author.


	2. Chapter 2

Bathing Beauty Chapter 2

Rating: A big fat M for SEXUALLY EXPLICIT material.

A/N: So here we are, and I am continuing at your request, I'd love to tell you there's a deep plot to that story but the truth is that this is a fluffy smutfest. For deeper meaning please see my other work. This story is only going to progress in one way so please, read and review, let me know what you're thinking and if you want more.

They are frozen, both of them caught as the heat and the moment wrap around them.

Temperance knows she should react but her hot bath, the wine, her orgasm and fatigue are all piling up against the shock and she finds herself just staring at him. He shifts his weight and her eyes drop to his hips and the prominent bulge in his pants. She feels like all the oxygen is being sucked from the room. If he were naked he would have stepped directly from her head, her fingers curl with the memory. She hears herself gasp as she desperately tries to recall if she uttered his name. She moves her eyes back to his face; his stare is fixed on her breasts, rising as she draws each shaking breath. The metal click of the wall register makes her jump, the soft whoosh of air stirring the remnants of humidity in the room, lifting the scent of hyacinth back to her. She shifts, the now tepid water rippling in rings away from her. She feels herself grow warm, her nipples tightening under his gaze. She knows she should move; cover herself, something, but the dark of his eyes press against her, holding her in place.

She gathers her strength and stands, watching as his eyes grow wide, his gaze chasing the flow of water down her form. For a moment she thinks her legs are not going to hold her and her hand grasps the air in an attempt to steady herself. Never in her life has she been more aware of her own nudity. She steps out of the tub and into the light spilling through the open door. Her damp flesh glistens and goose bumps rise on her skin as the chilled air swirls over her. Her breasts feel heavy with desire and the ache between her legs grows stronger with every breath. If he touches her she will surely lose her mind. She wants him to be naked, she wants to reach over and peel away his suit like the skin of a ripened fruit so she can sink her teeth into the flesh of him, taste him. She has imagined touching him so many times it seems more like a memory than a fantasy and her fingertips tingle at the thought of it. She wonders how long he stood there. How much did he see? Did he know that intimate moment was being shared with him even before he walked into the room?

Her voice is low, throaty and her words hang in the thick air, "how long?" He looks at her, silently questioning, his brow rises in an expression she knows as well as she knows her own face. "How long were you here?" He blushes deeply.

_How long were you here?_ _The question echoes inside his head and he feels the heat rise over his face. He is mildly surprised; sure all the blood flow in his body is coursing through his penis. He had come back to the hotel tired, having had to secure the evidence bags he sent her on ahead of him. He saw the light under his door and had tried to recall if he had left it on in the brief moment he had taken to drop his bag in the closet before taking her to the scene. He removed his mud caked shoes and had just wandered into the room when he heard a noise that caught his attention. Going into full sniper alert he had moved silently to the darkened bathroom door. It was the scent that reached out to him, so alluring he had parted his lips as though tasting the air. He had moved slowly, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dim light. She was lying in the tub with her eyes closed, one hand caressing her breast, the other disappearing between her thighs. He was going to speak, to make his presence known to her when she moaned from deep within her throat. His penis had tightened painfully and instead of his feet taking him quietly back out of the room he had move closer, two steps closer. _

_His fear of her opening her eyes prickled along his spine, urging his erection to full attention. His feet became rooted to the floor as his eyes raked over her body. She was increasing her pace; her breathing was raspy, punctuated by small sounds of pleasure. She arched back her head, and he watched as her hand clasped and pulled at her swollen nipple, rougher than he would ever have thought to be with her. Her other hand was a blur between her legs and he was left to imagine the sensation as the water lapped hungrily at the sides of the tub. His mouth had gone dry and his hands trembled with the need to touch her. Her pale skin looked luminous, her slender neck a landscape awaiting his lips, her dark nipples hardened peaks that he longed to smooth against his tongue. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her body began to arch out of the water and on her breath he heard her say his name. His name. As her hips broke the surface and her moaning grew louder he sucked in his breath, sure if he moved at all the mere friction of his clothing would make him cum. Her breasts rose up, shining as the water ran off of them, her head went back and he couldn't tear his eyes away as the orgasm washed over her, thighs, hips, belly, ribs, breasts, neck, chin, lips. It was the most erotic moment of his life, and then, she opened her eyes. How long had he been there? Long enough._

He knows he needs to answer her; he couldn't bear it if this moment became something of shame between them. He has to tell her how it made him feel.

"Long enough to know you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. That was so incredible, so sexy, so…my god Temperance…" His voice is filled with raw desire, his words dragging over her skin, the sound of her name eliciting a throb from between her thighs. His hand comes up and cups her chin, his calloused fingers rough, burning against her. He tips her face to look at him; the intensity of her stare makes his heart race desperately. "Temperance, please." He doesn't know what else to say, please don't walk away, please don't think, please don't analyze, just please.

When she doesn't move he leans down and grazes his lips against hers, their breath mingles, his hand slides into her hair. She closes her eyes and tastes him, her tongue tracing the line of his lip as he opens his mouth to her. She pulls herself against him, the velvety softness of his tongue tentative and then hungry. She sinks further into him, deepening the kiss, seduced, succumbing. If he were the forbidden fruit she would gladly sacrifice mankind for this moment.

She pushes his jacket off his shoulders and smiles softly when it hits the floor. She needs his clothes off, she wants the fantasy but even as she breaks from his kiss and begins to unbutton his shirt she knows, this is immeasurably better. His lips move to her neck and he nips and kisses his way to her collar bone where his tongue traces the lines of her. She moans softly and tilts her head, letting him roam over her flesh. His hands slip around to her back and caress the length of her until his palms rest over her shoulder blades. She tries to focus but her desire keeps interrupting and she fumbles as she tries to pull his shirt from his pants.

"Wait," her voice is breathy and he stops, instantly terrified that she has changed her mind. She looks suddenly bashful; the words that were so clear in her mind tangle up as she looks in his eyes. She glances down to the strip of skin where she has unbuttoned his shirt and places her hand flat against his chest. In a whisper she tells him, "I want to undress you." He chuckles, a low sexy sound that sends a chill skittering over her. He puts his hands out to his sides, offering himself to her and she slows herself, settling into the moment. She moves behind him, takes his shirt by the collar and peels it down. He hears a deep sigh of contentment escape her, feels the breath of it against his neck just before her lips press lightly against him. Her hands and mouth move over him, learning his landscape. Her tongue traces a small scar just below his shoulder blade and he groans. The sound is almost lost to her amid the voices in the hall, a laughing group stumbling along in search of their room. Her hands slide around his waist as she moves her tongue down the line of his spine. He looks down, watching her fingers deftly move over the front of him and he holds his breath when she undoes his zipper. His penis shifts out of the confined space and she moves her hand, careful not to touch him just yet. She smiles when she notices his hands clenching as she pushes both his pants and underwear to the floor. She taps his leg softly and he steps out of his clothes, allowing her to remove his socks so he is, at last, naked. She caresses his legs, cups his calves and smoothes the pads of her fingers up the long muscles of his legs. She's mapping every inch of him, stroking and kneading, kissing and tasting as his moans of pleasure fill the room.

His hands are aching to touch her, to feel her against him and when he can take no more he grasps her wrist and turns around to face her. Before she can react he pulls her against him and kisses her, his tongue probes her mouth and the urgency between them suddenly expands. He doesn't want to wait anymore and he lifts her, carrying her and kissing her gently as he lays her down on the bed, running his hand down the center of her body. She has thoughts she will not voice, she doesn't want to speak or think. She watches him walk across the room, looking as though he was sculpted from some magical fluid substance. He shuts off the light and stops to open the blinds, letting the pale blue haze of the night sky bathe over them. As he climbs on the bed her body begins to quiver in anticipation, his look is predatory, and his hands are reaching.

She kisses him, his tongue sliding along hers in a rhythm she feels all the way down to her throbbing clitoris. He fills his hand with her breast, brushing his thumb firmly over her nipple and she whimpers in need, arching herself toward him. His mouth moves down the front of her, his lips clasping her nipple firmly as his tongue flicks against the swollen nub. He groans in satisfaction, her hands grab his hair, curling into fists as she pushes her hips into him. She whispers his name, pleading with him to end this torture and on the same breath begs him to make it last forever. His hand moves between her legs, his fingers sinking in the silky heat of her, he gasps at how her body pulses around his fingers, trying to suck him further inside her. She begins pulling his hair, dragging his face back up to her so she can look at him. She winds her leg around his waist and pulls herself completely under him, kissing him deeply, sucking his tongue into her mouth and rocking her body up against him.

His hand reaches between them, easing his penis into her entrance. She lets go of his hair, moving her hands down she grasps his ass in both hands, dropping her knees back and lifting her hips, she pulls him deeply into her. Her head tips back and she cries out as he moans with the sheer pleasure of it. He can feel her muscles rippling around him, so tight he can feel every inch of her folding against him. She relaxes her grip on him and he begins to move, rapidly increasing his pace. Her moan becomes a steady sound that feeds his urgency and she meets his frantic rhythm until he cries out, calling her name as she crashes around him, the force of her tugging at his penis as he explodes inside her.

There is nothing for a long time but the damp feel of his skin and the rasping sound of their bodies trying to get air. His eyes are closed and when he opens them at last he is looking at her breast and the image of her tugging at her own nipple in the tub returns to him. He feels his penis twitch inside her and he shifts. He sticks out his tongue and licks her nipple, pauses to watch it tighten covered in the sheen from his attention. His tongue snakes out again and he hears her gasp softly, he was only playing really but as she starts to move beneath him, his body answers.

It is slow, barely moving, kissing gently, their hips a subtle cadence of smoldering passion. He slides his hand between them and strokes his thumb over her clitoris and she jerks toward him, smiling against his lips. Their rhythm continues and her clitoris hardens under his thumb. The burning coil in her belly springs loose and she comes hard against him, drawing his orgasm from him.

When he moves out of her she feels the loss of him everywhere. He pulls her into his arms, kissing the top of her head and searching for words. He pulls the blanket over their cooling bodies.

"Temperance," she brings her fingers to his lips.

"Shhhh, whatever it is Seeley, let it wait until tomorrow, please." She squeezes her limbs around him and relaxes.

"Okay, goodnight Temperance." She murmurs good night into his chest and closes her eyes, suddenly exhausted beyond resistance. He is awake long after her steady breathing tells him she had fallen asleep. So many questions are moving through him, the most pressing being what her intentions are for all of this, for them. He knows how he feels and has wanted her for so long that now, having had her; he will never be able to go back. As he drifts off he wonders what the light of day will reveal in them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

With a rebel yell she cried "more, more, more." I can't hear you unless you push the button, so push, type, send and the happy author will ttpe, type, type.


	3. Chapter 3

Bathing Beauty chapter 3

Disclaimer: They aren't mine but they have more fun with me.

WARNING: **Sexually explicit chapter rated M**

A/N: Ask and you shall receive…here is the next installment of your request for more, please enjoy and as always please read and review.

Even before Temperance opens her eyes she knows where she is, the scent of him fills her as she draws a deep breath. She is lying in bed naked, curled against Seeley Booth. It is too late to panic, she knows she can't uncross this line and really she doesn't want to try. He has been showing up in her fantasies since the day she met him and she knew in her heart that one day it would come to this, she just didn't know when. She knows she should be working out how they are going to deal with this at work, around their friends and in public but at the moment those seem to be details that can wait. Right now she is thinking about how she wants him, she has a repertoire of fantasies that she can turn into reality now that they're together.

She opens her eyes, he is so beautiful, more so even than she had imagined. She wants to wake him with her mouth on him, test his morning flavor. She wants to run her tongue over the silky swirl of hair below his navel. She wants to feel his abdominal muscles bunch under her lips and fingers. She wants to know the second the scent of his arousal strikes the air. She feels her own yearning awaken and stir within her and she smiles before quietly sliding from the bed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Seeley wakes as he feels her slip from the bed but he doesn't move or open his eyes. He can hear her go into the bathroom and shut the door softly. In a moment he hears her whispering and realizes she must be on the phone. Who would she be calling this early, Angela? A cab? His heart clenches in his chest, maybe she didn't want to talk last night because she knew she would be gone in the morning. Isn't that what she does, love them and leave them? How could he have been so naïve as to think that he would be different? There had been something between them last night, he had felt it. It was too powerful to be missed, even by her. He's thinking about how accidentally this all started when his erection rises. He quickly turns over and relaxes back into the bed, taking in the traces of her scent mixed with the feint industrial clean of the hotel sheets. If she is coming out to leave he doesn't want her seeing his erection on the way.

His chest tightens when he hears the water go off in the bathroom and a moment later, the click of the handle. He can feel the mattress give under her weight as she climbs back in and he smiles into the pillow, the relief seeping out of him. She is slipping the soft cotton sheet down his back and he is surprised at how she touches him. Her hand is stroking his lower back, occasionally moving up over his ass cheek and back down. He stirs slightly and her fingers dip between his legs, lightly touching his balls and running back up between his cheeks. She dips her fingers in a second time and he groans, unable to be still any longer. His penis is digging into the mattress beneath him and he clenches his ass muscles as she strokes him. He hears her laugh softly as her touch becomes firmer and she massages the spot just under his balls, making his penis throb tightly. Her hands move up his back and he feels her straddle him, leaning down, her breasts are brushing against his back and her breath is warm against his ear.

"Good morning, Seeley. I thought I'd help you get up." Her voice is deep with sleep and desire and he laughs at her suggestive play on words. He is filled with a lightness at the thought that she has stayed and his head swims with the sensation. He turns over and she lifts to accommodate his movement, smiling down at his erection as he settles himself. She wraps her fingers around it; the warmth between her thighs spreads as she touches him. She smiles at his sharp intake of breath as her hand lazily strokes him. She watches her own hand, amazed that her long fingers don't quite encompass him; he is larger than she ever anticipated. She turns her attention to his face and smiles as she sees his head has tipped back and his eyes have fallen closed. She is torn between the desire to wrap her lips around him, the head of him tucked against the roof of her mouth as her tongue works the tender underside of his shaft and the urge to have him inside her. She wonders how long they would have to stay in this hotel room before she exhausted all the images in her head. His hand is on her breast and as he squeezes her the ache sharpens and fires through her with every twist of his fingers. His eyes are open now and he leans up and kisses her, she presses forward so he can relax back into the pillow. She wants him now and the images in her head fall away like photos dropped from her hand, floating to the floor. She rises up and straddles his thighs, her hand still stroking him but more firmly.

She leans forward and runs her fingertips along his lips and he takes them into his mouth, sucking them, coating them. She draws back her hand and places it between her legs spreading herself and slipping her own fingers inside. His eyes grow impossibly dark as he groans and he thickens slightly in her hand. She is soaking wet and he can see the shiny slickness of her in the early morning light. She wants him to know where he is headed, anticipate for a moment how it will feel. She can smell the rich musky scent of their arousal and she lifts up, leaning forward she guides him into her. His hands grasp her knees and tug slightly and she sinks the remaining distance to his base, moaning loudly. He reaches his hands up to her breasts and as he cinches her nipples between his fingers he feels her tight walls flex harder against him. She leans toward him, desperate for the friction of him thrusting into her and begins to rock her self. Her breasts sway under his hands with her steady motion and he drops one hands down and fingers over her hard clitoris. Her speed increases and he bends his knees so he can push off the bed to meet her thrusts. He feels him self going and he pinches her clitoris between his fingers. She cries out his name, slamming her body against him as the feeling ruptures inside her. She can feel him filling her, hot in her depths and he arches hard against her hips, groaning as her body continues to shudder above him.

She lays herself against him, his heart hammering in her ear; she pants short hard breaths and tastes the salt and sex of them in the air. He is slick with a sheen of sweat beneath her and she can feel the moisture as their abdomens seize apart with each heaving breath. Her womb is still pulsing and he can feel her fluttering around his still penis. He lifts the damp strands of hair from her neck and the cool air is a gift against her. She doesn't want to work, she wants to do this all day, until she has ridden the urge into the ground, until her thighs ache and her lips and womb are swollen from the pounding. Romantically she would like to think of making love to him all day but sexually she knows she wants to fuck him, at least the morning has started with a nice blend of the two.

They lay quietly for a few moments, listening to the sounds of other guests, a blow dryer in the distance, muffled voices, doors slamming, phones ringing. It's as though the world has decided to go on without them. There is a knock at the door and she feels him jump beneath her. She lifts her head and places a quick kiss on his lips, slipping off of him and into a robe. He watches her go to the door, obviously expecting someone. He pulls the sheet shyly over himself and then smiles and sits up as he sees her wheel the cart into the room.

"I took the liberty of ordering us room service for breakfast. I didn't think we'd be in a hurry to go to a restaurant before getting back to work." She is smiling and the loosely tied robe hangs away from her body as she moves. He marvels at this graceful sexual creature she has become with him and wonders at how trivial the reasons now seem for not having pursued her sooner. She wheels the cart next to the small table by the window and he scrambles from the bed, pulling on his complimentary robe and joining her. The scent has already reached him and his stomach growls in hunger. He pulls his chair next to her instead of across from her so they are both facing the view and he sits down.

"I ordered you steak and eggs with hash browns, well done and the steak medium rare, rye toast. I ordered myself eggs benedict with asparagus, extra sauce and then I had them send the chocolate hazelnut crepes for us to share. I thought we might be hungry." She was smiling and a small blush flushes her cheeks. The sun is shining across her and her eyes are the open blue of Midwest skies, filled with endless possibilities. He smoothes back her hair because he wants to touch her and he is hypnotized by the soft glow of her beauty.

He realizes she is waiting for him to respond and he reaches to remove metal covers, sorting out the dishes. "I couldn't have ordered better for myself and I'm all of a sudden starving." He watches her hands hold her knife and fork, cutting her food and hovering over her plate as he has a thousand times before. This is not the same and he smiles in the knowledge that it will never be the same again. Now they are the hands that have touched him, now they are the fingers he has had in his mouth and in this knowing every move she makes is seen differently by him. She pauses and pours them both coffee and orange juice, unconsciously licking her lips. As she is lifting her arms to pour he notices her nipples against the thin silky fabric of her robe and appreciates that the sun renders it nearly sheer. She moans softly after tasting her first bite and he laughs beside her. "This was a stroke of genius, ordering room service."

"Well I hope the FBI thinks so when they get the bill. I just decided that the budget is there and we have never used it, so why not? Why not us? Why not today?" The statements feel like they are about more than breakfast and he wonders now that the subject is being breeched what this all means to her.

"Yes, why not us?" He slices into the thick steak but it is so tender he really could just use a fork.

She looks at him and knows the meaning in the question has shifted. She watches the pale brown juice ooze from the meat as he stabs a bite onto his fork. He has broken the yolk on his egg and the bright yellow center rolls around the edge of his plate, he dips the meat into it before bringing it to his lips.

"Seeley, it doesn't feel like you're asking about breakfast anymore." She watches him chew thoughtfully as she continues eating her own meal.

"Well I would like to know what this means to you." There, he has set it between them like something fragile that needs his undivided attention to survive.

She buys time with a drink of coffee and he watched her swollen lips blow to cool its temperature. He wants to kiss her more than he wants to hear her answer but as he watches her return the delicate porcelain to its saucer he holds his breath.

"I think we've been headed here for a long time. I have no idea if we're ready and you have to know it makes me nervous. I've never been good at relationships and this is one I couldn't bear to see fail. I can't afford to lose you. I think we should let this part of it be what it is and take the rest of it slowly. We'll have to work at it Seeley, we're very different people." She had been thinking about it for some time and he is surprised by that bit of information. How could he not have known?

"When you say we should _let this part be what it is_ does that mean we're going to continue sleeping together when we get back?" He looks up at her with that twinkle in his eye that makes her smile. "Because if it does, I would definitely agree with you on that point. As for taking it slow, we'll take it in what ever way you like. Now, I assume you don't want to let everyone at work know just yet." His hand moves to her leg, his finger pushing the sensuous fabric off of her so he can stroke his way up her thigh.

She is distracted by his hand slowly carressing her thigh. "No, I would like to keep this just between us for a while. I want us to have some time to ourselves before everyone starts giving their opinion." Her voice is breathy and she takes another bite of her breakfast. "You have to try one of these crepes."

He laughs softly beside her. "I only like the filling."

Looking at him with a gleam in her eye she reaches for the crepes and cuts one in half, lifting the piece in her hand. "Then you should eat them like this." She tips her had back slightly and opens her mouth, holding the crepe just above her she squeezes gently and then snakes out her tongue and licks the filling that threatens to drip from the end. His hand has stopped moving on her thigh. She lowers the crepe to her lips and runs her tongue in the center of it, scooping more of the filling out of it. She can hear him breathing beside her as she turns it around in her hand and wraps her lips around it, sucking the rest of the filling from the center. When she turns to him his eyes have darkened and his breakfast sits abandoned in front of him. She uncurls the remaining piece and shows it to him, "see, the fillings all gone."

He slips a hand to the back of her neck and pulls her to him, kissing her, his tongue licking the last bits of powdered sugar from her lips before entering her mouth and caressing her own. He moves deeper as he pulls her closer to him, a small sound of satisfaction hums in the back of her throat.

When he pulls away from her she smiles at him, "Seeley, we have to shower and go to the work site. As much as I'd love to, we can't stay here all day. We have to be able to do our jobs."

He moves to her ear and begins sucking softly on the lobe; he stops and lifts his head, "did you say _we_ had to shower?" The thought of her naked and soapy under his hands makes his heart pound a little harder.

"Yes, _we_ have to shower, now finish your breakfast so we can get moving."

"I'm done." He stands and goes in search of his shower kit because there is only one appetite he is interested in satisfying now. She smiles softly as she rises to go get ready, thinking about him wet and pressed up against her. This will be their last chance to be alone together until they return to Washington and that alone makes her a little sad but she is prepared to make the best of the time they had left.

When he enters the bathroom she is already there with the water running, fresh towels stacked near the tub. She turns off the light and lets the natural daylight bathe the room. They both turn at the sound of his phone ringing and he realizes it's in his suit, still on the floor from the previous night. He grabs it and snaps it open.

"Booth."

Temperance listens as he gives a report to Cam and hears him tell her that he doesn't know why Dr. Brennan isn't answering her cell. She turns to him, slipping the robe off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She unties his robe and slides her hands down the front of him, cupping him gently. He mumbles that he has to go, throwing the phone to the floor as he reaches for her. She squeezes him lightly before releasing him and he groans, his hands grab her hips and pull her against him. He drops his hand between her legs and presses his fingers between her slick folds. She hisses his name as his finger circles her clitoris. Neither of them notices the small green light blinking on the open phone at their feet.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So it turns out there is a little tiny plot outside the sex, but don't worry this is still all about the M rating. The smutfest continues. You know what to do next, press the button, type, send. It's a really cheap way to keep the author happy.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: They are not mine but they are still having more fun with me.

**Warning: Sexually explicit material, rated M **

Bathing Beauty Chapter 4

A/N: As long as you keep enjoying it, I'll keep writing it. Please read and review, your opinions and comments are always greatly appreciated.

_Previously… Temperance listens as he gives a report to Cam and hears him tell her that he doesn't know why Dr. Brennan isn't answering her cell. She turns to him, slipping the robe off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She unties his robe and slides her hands down the front of him, cupping him gently. He mumbles that he has to go, throwing the phone to the floor as he reaches for her. She squeezes him lightly before releasing him and he groans, his hands grab her hips and pull her against him. He drops his hand between her legs and presses his fingers between her slick folds. She hisses his name as his finger circles her clitoris. Neither of them notices the small green light blinking on the open phone at their feet._

She kisses him, wanting only to taste him again, to drink her fill until she is sated. She moans into his mouth as his fingers sink deeper inside her. She rocks against his hand, suddenly torn between her thoughts of making this last and her immediate urge to have him inside her. She brakes from his lips, her hand stroking him faster, the low sound of him rumbling through the room, rising with the steam. He is having trouble focusing, her mouth is on his neck, sucking across his collar bone, her hand wrapping around him as her walls clench around his fingers. He slips his fingers from inside her and she gasps in shock, his hand grabs her wrist and she lifts her head to look at him, panting hard, eyes blazing with desire.

He steps into the tub, his hand still holding her wrist as she steps in behind him. He smoothes her hair off of her face as the water pours over her.

"I feel like I've been waiting forever to be with you like this." He is trying to tell her how it feels to be with her but fears his words are inadequate.

"And now that you are?"

His smile is predatory, "now, I feel like I'll never have enough of you."

His head sinks to her shoulder and sucks in her skin. She groans, her speaking response to him lost. He moves down the front of her and pulls her nipple between his teeth. She presses her hips into him, stroking his hair and whispering his name into the raining water. She backs against the wall and lifts her leg, tucking her foot on the ledge and arching into him. She pulls him up but the temptation is too great for him and he slides down her body onto his knees instead. His mouth opens, taking in the water and the taste of her all at once. She gasps, the misty water is heavy in her lungs and she presses her palms against the cool tile. Her exhale comes out as a loud moan that rolls down his spine and tightens his groin. His tongue runs the length of her, circling her clit before sucking it between his lips. As he moves his mouth against her she feels her thighs start to tremble with the need to thrust. Her orgasm is building too fast and she moves her fingers into his hair in a desperate need to hold on as her shoulders curl forward. His mouth moves with a relentless hunger, swirling and sucking and her body coils and tightens, rising until she thinks she will scream from the sharp pleasure of it. Her fingers sink into his shoulders and a cry peels from her as she squeezes her eyes shut and shatters. He is struggling to hold her hips firmly against the rocking waves that threaten to pull her from his grasp. A need in him that has only awakened since he first touched her, feeds off of the sweet musky taste of her. He slows the stroke of his tongue as she calms her movements and she opens her eyes. Looking down she watches him reverently place a gentle kiss on her inner thigh and the tenderness in that simple act sends a blossom of warmth across her chest.

He loves her. In the hot barely grazing of his lips the truth of it is branded into her. She knows it with a certainty that elates and terrifies as it takes hold. How could she not have known?

He makes his way back up her body with open kisses, drinking in her flesh with the water. He pauses between her breasts and feels the pounding of her heart against him. His skin is tingling from the sudden absence of the rhythm of the water pelting his back. He smiles as his fingers play over her nipples and a whimper escapes her parted lips. He lifts his head and kisses her, his tongue caresses hers and she finds the lingering taste of herself mixed with him surprisingly arousing. She slides her hands over his chest, her fingers squeeze his nipple and rake over his abdomen, grasping his penis and guiding it between her legs. He lifts his head, drowning in her eyes, oblivious of the water. As soon as she moves her hand he sinks into her, her eyes close and his name falls in a thin cry from her lips. He is still for a moment; his hands drop to her ass and pull her tightly up and onto him, her slender legs winding around his waist. He moans with the feeling of her clenching around him and as he takes in the look of her flushed with desire he knows he is bathing more in her beauty than anything. He moves in long deep strokes, nearly leaving her every time he draws away and burying himself into the depths of her on his return.

She dips her head to his neck and runs her tongue into the hollow just below his Adams apple, sucking softly before nipping her way across to his shoulder. He is no longer the Seeley of her fantasy, he is a man that loves her and that has patiently waited all these months for her to see him, to know.

She would like to capture his languid mood, to make this last, but now that he is inside her she wants to drive against him. He moves slowly and she sighs deeply as the friction fills her with a sweet ascending ache. His eyes drop to her breasts, gently moving to his rhythm and he bends and captures a tight peak between his lips. She arches into him and begins a rhythm of her own. He feels her tighten around him as her hands move to his shoulders and he lifts his head. Her eyes have turned the dark blue of the ocean when a storm brews in the distance and he smiles softly. She is riding him now, increasing their speed, her thighs cinching around him, supporting her hips as she takes them higher. He growls and rocks back into her, pressing her into the wall he releases his urge and frantically pounds into her. She slides her hand between them and presses on her clit and within a moment her orgasm rips through her. She pulls herself against him, her walls seizing hard around him. He lunges so deeply into her she can feel the heat of him emptying into her belly as he calls out her name. He is loud and she wonders if people in the hall have paused outside the wall to listen. She shudders in his arms, her body still pulsing. and he holds her tightly against him. After a while she feels his grip relax and he pulls back to look at her, studying her as though he has never really seen her before.

Something has happened between them and although he can't verbalize it, he can feel it. He doesn't want to put her down, doesn't want to part from her on any level but he knows that he must. He places a soft kiss on her lips and eases her back onto her feet, slipping out of her as he steps back. The water is now tepid at best and he flinches as he steps under the spray. She is trying to catch her breath and she watches as he steps away, chest heaving and into the water. Her chill comes more from his loss than the cold and she wishes for the hundredth time that morning that they didn't have to go to work.

"How much longer do you think you will need at the scene?" His voice sounds strange to him and he wonders if there is a small echo in this room that he is just now noticing.

She smiles at him, a wide genuine smile that warms him, "well, since we're getting a late start I'm hoping by early afternoon."

"That would get us home in time for a late dinner and still leave us a few hours to look over the file." They have switched places and as she stands under the now cooling stream she closes her eyes, wondering at how they seem to be just stepping into this other life.

"My place or yours?" He laughs softly at her use of the cliché and beneath that out of relief that she has not shot him down.

"Yours is closer but do you have anything to eat?"

"It doesn't matter; we can pick up Thai on the way." It is as though they have done this a thousand times and in some respects they have but now it's different. She had thought that sleeping with him would just add another dimension to their relationship but she knows something more has happened here. For the time being she decides to just let it be and see what happens, trying to analyze it isn't going to accomplish anything but wasting her time. She washes quickly and steps from the tub, her skin tightening in goose bumps as the air strikes her. She watches Seeley as she towels herself off, his hands moving without thought over the plains of his chest and abdomen. Her eyes drop to his penis, now soft and swaying slightly with his movements.

"Temperance, if you keep looking at me that way we are never going to get out of this hotel room." He is grinning from ear to ear, and trying to sound confident. He actually thinks there was no way he can go another round with her right now but he also knows that if she continues to walk around naked in front of him it won't be long before he rises to the occasion. She has a powerful effect on him.

She blushes deeply and moves her gaze back to his face, "don't pretend you don't enjoy having me look, I know that you do." He turns toward her and flexes his arms in a body builders pose and she starts laughing. "I'm going to get dressed." She strides from the room still chucking and he turns off the water and steps out, looking down in confusion as his foot kicks something hard on the floor. He grabs his phone and snaps it the rest of the way closed, setting it on the sink and making a mental note not to forget it.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cam is confused for just a moment, thinking at first that he is returning to the phone, that some temporary emergency has caused him to tell her that he has to go. Then she hears them, and her mind swims, trying to place what she is hearing, trying to give it context. He is saying something about never getting enough and she strains to hear. The sound of the water muffles the sounds and she raises her hand to plug her other ear so she can concentrate.

At first she thinks he's injured but she knows the sound of Seeley, his groan of passion makes a wave of warmth wash over her even as confusion twists her features. For one second she is lost in the memory of how he felt and then the sound of the woman rises through the phone and it's as though someone is pouring ice water over her. She visibly trembles and her stomach suddenly churns with nausea. She can't place the voice, but it's familiar, like the melody of a song you can sing but not immediately name. The woman is verbal and responsive and Cam almost hangs up but just as she goes to snap the phone shut she hears it, the sound of his name. The realization that the voice belongs to Temperance Brennan hits her like a bolt of lightening; as her insides burn with rage her skin goes icy cold. She is, quite literally frozen in shock. Her brain is trying to negotiate its way through the barrage of images to return to rational thought but she is failing miserably.

She thinks for just a second that she is mistaken and she presses the phone back against her ear but it is, without a doubt, Dr. Brennan that she hears. She feels suddenly like a fool and she has no one to blame but herself. She was sure that after Seeley began seeing her again he would forget all about the possibility of a relationship with Temperance Brennan. Cam was amazed they had forged a friendship. She found the doctor cold, unemotional and socially crippled so when she reminded Seeley of what it felt like to have a warm, loving woman around that was able to actually converse with him she thought he left the idea of Brennan behind.

The sound of them becomes louder in the phone and she closes her eyes against the feeling rising in her throat. She listens carefully and knows he has never sounded like that with her and every insecurity she has ever buried slowly bubbles to the surface. She wants to shut the phone but she is like a person watching an accident, trapped within the horror and unable to stop being a witness. She can feel the color rise in her cheeks, this is no longer an accident and she is a voyeur now. Her intention becomes to listen until they are finished, to torture herself with every moan for ever believing they could be a couple. She disliked Temperance Brennan from the first moment she met her and despite her attempts to be civil with her they have never warmed up to one another. Now something far darker than mere dislike boils within her at the thought of Dr. Brennan and Cam will have to decide what to do about that. Her fingers curl into a fist and she breathes in the scent of floor polish laced with chemicals and decomposition that will forever remind her of this building. She is aware that she is standing at the edge of the hall and that the remaining squints are periodically glancing in her direction trying to glean what is happening.

She decides she has had enough and slowly lowers the phone, snapping it firmly shut as she slides it into her pocket. She suddenly realizes it doesn't matter, even without the phone she can hear them in her head as clearly as if they had crawled inside her. She turns, walking away from the platform and back to her office, wanting a few moments to compose herself before facing the floor. Her mind is churning with ways to deal with this situation as she closes the door.

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Let the smut fest continue…you know what's next…button, type type type, happy happy author.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: They are not mine, but secretly, they want to be.

**WARNING: Sexually explicit material, Rated:M**

A/N: Happy holidays to all of you whoever you are, wherever you live and whatever religion you practice. I hope your prayers are answered, your loved ones are healthy and peace and happiness abounds in your home. Another smut chapter, please enjoy. As always, thanks so much for reading and review if you are so inclined, all thoughts are welcome.

He watches her move around the site gently probing the dirt, searching for remaining bone fragments and occasionally stopping to place a small shard into an evidence bag. They have been here for over three hours as she combs the area for anything left behind in the dark of the previous night. The suns waning efforts have failed to warm him and he rubs his hands together against the cold dampness that seems to have permeated his limbs. He knows Temperance is cold, he can tell from the way she holds her arms against her body, huddling into herself to try to retain her body warmth. He took the additional photos of the scene that she asked for and since then he has been watching her. She turns, moving carefully in the soil that is still too soft and his eyes travel down to where her cleavage peaks from the edge of her shirt. He feels his face warm at the memory of her and wants nothing more than to lift her from the dark earth of the muddy ditch and carry her to the car, to his home, to his bed. Even when he looks away from her to scan their surroundings he can feel her as though they are now tied together, bound by some unseen force he has never before felt. He watches the wind lift the loose strands of hair around her face and knows if he were to slip his hand inside her shirt her nipple would be tight against his palm, gathered against the cold. His intimate knowledge of her prompts a grin and she suddenly looks up at him.

"You're staring at me." He is surprised; she has been working for so long without speaking that he is convinced she had forgotten he was standing there. Her cheeks are flushed and he isn't sure if it's from the heat or the cold.

"I'm securing the site while you work, like I always do."

"Hmmm, it doesn't feel like that, unless you're watching me because I'm some kind of security risk." She has that sparkle in her eye.

"Well you do have that killer body…" He is laughing because he can't even keep a straight face the line is so corny but his eyes have been moving over her again and it's all he can muster at the moment.

She chuckles that warm sexy sound that feels like she is touching him as she places her remaining items back in her bag and climbs up next to him. They have been alone for the last couple of hours and she likes working with only him. Even without any conversation it feels somehow intimate to be out here with him alone.

"I'm finished here so we can pack this up and head back. What time is it?" She is only inches from him and she struggles to suppress the urge to lean against him and draw a moment of warmth and comfort.

"It's after one o'clock; we're actually a little ahead of our schedule. We have time to grab a sandwich and a cup of coffee before we get on the road if you like. I know we sort of abandoned our breakfasts and personally I'm starving."

"I am hungry; there were several restaurants on the main strip. We can go to one of those. I'd feel better if you had some coffee before we get on the road, neither one of us had much sleep last night." She looks at him, letting the memory she has been fighting all day settle over her. She is smiling, looking far too happy for a woman that is cold, damp and hungry. As they walk to the car she thinks of touching him, of how his skin felt beneath her hands. Now that she has finished the excavation she rewards herself with these indulgences. She tries to remember if their strides have always been so perfectly matched or if they have subconsciously synchronized their rhythm. She is aware of the desire stirring within her again and is surprised at herself. She doesn't remember ever wanting anyone like this before, with such an all consuming desire. In the past after having sex with a man she didn't think about him the next day, not at all. It's as though her body and mind had taken what they needed and moved on without hesitation. Seeley is different; she is fighting to concentrate on her work, to concentrate on anything but him for that matter. She is watching him load the kits into the truck when he catches her gaze and she can see the desire shining in his eyes.

He is looking around as he opens her car door and watches her move gracefully into her seat. He leans down to place a small kiss on her lips hoping this brief contact will calm his urges. He realizes his mistake instantly and yet too late. A taste of her brings him only torture, an accelerant to the fire within him. Her hand slides around his neck and pulls him back to her and her lips find his once again. Her kiss is filled with heat, her tongue stroking his and slipping along the roof of his mouth. By the time she breaks from him he is hard and wondering how they will ever make it home. He moves slowly away from her and goes around, getting in the vehicle. He knows if he takes her to a hotel now, they will never get home. He starts the car and pulls out onto the highway. He reaches over and takes her hand; her fingers are cold as they curl around his palm. He brings her hand to his lips and begins blowing his warm breath across it, pausing occasionally to kiss each slender finger. His eyes are on the road but he can hear her breathing become shallow as he takes her finger into his mouth.

She is thinking about asking him where he wants to go but he is gently sucking on her finger and her coherent thoughts dissolve. Her nipples tighten in longing as her body awakens to the feeling of his lips. She feels a pang of guilt, sure that they should be discussing the case but the only body her mind has room for at the moment, is his. Her hand is no longer cold but he continues his tender ministrations.

"Are you warming up?" He smiles against her hand and she glances at him.

"Actually I feel like I'm on fire." He groans softly and places their hands back on the seat beside him. He pulls into a small parking lot under a sign that reads _Bob and Harriet's Diner_, _if you don't eat here, we both starve._

He laughs softly at the sign and then turns to her, "I wish we were somewhere that I could help you with that problem, I have a similar one of my own." She takes her hand from his and slides it across his thigh, gently grasping his erection. He gasps loudly as she touches him.

"Temperance I wouldn't do that if I were you, unless you want to have sex in the back of this vehicle right here in this parking lot."

"Well, maybe not in this parking lot…" Her eyes are flashing and for a second he thinks she's kidding but her steady gaze tells him otherwise. He is backing out before she can change her mind; the hair on his neck is rising as excitement and nervousness energy churn through his system. He pulls into a truck stop just a few doors down from the diner and backs the car into an end spot along the back row. There is a large truck parked next to them and a wall on the other side and behind them. He has backed in so he can see if anyone approaches the car but they are virtually hidden from every other vehicle in the lot. He wonders briefly how much time he would do for indecent exposure in a town this small but as Temperance quickly scrambles to the back seat he no longer cares.

He is a big man to be climbing into the back seat and not as agile as he would like to think. He has left the car running with the heat on low and the window cracked, the feint smell of diesel and greasy food hangs in the air. He sits beside her grinning and feeling like a seventeen year old about to score in the back seat of the car after a big game. He has just settled himself when she begins kissing him, hungry and aggressive and suddenly there is nothing but her in his world.

She can't kiss him deeply enough or have him soon enough to satisfy the need now surging within her. She peels off her coat and straddles his lap; kissing his neck she grinds herself against him. She can feel him moaning under her lips and it enflames her even more. She is pushing off his coat and he pulls it from behind him as she moves on to undo his buttons. She is seeking flesh and every inch that she exposes she covers with her mouth, lapping in the taste of him. When she grazes her teeth over his nipple he jumps and something very much like a growl rolls from his chest. He gently brings her head back up and kisses her, his tongue matching the rhythm of her gyrating hips. He slips off her shirt and pops the clasp on her bra, she breaks from the kiss long enough to remove it and discard it on the floor. He is already pulling her toward him, his mouth closing over her nipple, his tongue smoothing over the hard nub. She moans loudly and he sucks hard in response causing a rush of wetness between her legs. She moves her hands down to his belt buckle and quickly undoes his pants. His breath hitches as she takes him in her hand and begins to stroke him. She yelps in surprise as he lifts her, setting her next to him and dispensing with her shoes, socks and slacks. She works his pants down and he lifts his hips to accommodate her, oddly grateful for the tinted windows of the SUV. When she climbs back over him there is a smile on her face and his hand reaches between her legs.

She closes her eyes as he sinks two fingers into her slick heat and she sighs against him. He is in awe of how wet she is, how aroused and her name comes from him like a plea. He removes his fingers and she lifts her hips, arching toward him and burying the thickness of him inside her with one thrust. She draws her knees up next to him and folds her arms around his neck, enveloping him with her body and driving him deeper. She is kissing his neck, curling against him and he can feel her clenching her muscles around him. He reaches out and lifts his coat, draping it over her shoulders, cocooning them together. His hands move over her skin, soft in a way he can not define but is compelled to keep touching. She begins rocking slowly, reveling in the sense of satisfaction she feels just from having him inside her, filling her. He runs his hands up her thighs, feeling the solid muscle tighten under the supple skin as she lifts herself over him. He can feel every inch of her squeezing him as she rises and he gasps in shock at the waves of pleasure that rush through him.

He kisses her, his mouth moving tenderly over hers as his fingers dance over her breast. He lifts his hips to meet her, wanting to bury himself so deeply inside her that somehow she will always be his. He tightens his grip on her breast, rolling her nipple as he does so and he feels her groan into his mouth. She is increasing her speed and her hands move over him, her fingers pinching his nipples and grazing over the now familiar contours of his body. She breaks the kiss and dips her head to his neck, sucking on the cord of muscle that curves into his shoulder. She can smell his arousal rising off his skin, musky and sweet mixed with the leather from the seat. He slips his hand between them, his fingers finding her clitoris and rubbing the swollen bundle of nerves. She arches up, the coat sliding from her shoulders as she leans back moaning, the bolts of pleasure so strong she feels they will split her in two.

As she rises up out of the coat, arching back and moaning, he is captivated. Her damp pale skin glowing in the light she is reminiscent of a flower opening in bloom before him. He thinks briefly of a lily and traces his fingers down the front of her to where his other hand continues its relentless stroking.

"My god Temperance, you are so beautiful." The words fall from him before he realizes he has spoken out loud. She moves back toward him, her arms winding around his neck, her fingers anchoring in his flesh. He can feel the ache tighten just above his balls and he knows he won't last long now. He grabs her hips, moving one hand in to keep his thumb pressed against her clit, he begins pumping hard against her. She whimpers and matches his rhythm, riding higher with each thrust.

She crashes hard around him, her body squeezing his penis into release, her nails sinking into his back as his name careens from her lips. He is moaning a long steady sound as he pours his heat into her, her muscles clenching and pulsing, prolonging his flight.

Her body is still twitching and she is unsure of how long it has been since she has known anything but this pleasure. She opens her eyes and lifts her head, the windows are steamed and the vehicle feels much too warm. Her eyes fall on Seeley and he is smiling softly as though he has been waiting for her. His hands are still cupping her ass, holding her hips against him. She kisses him with all the tenderness of the first time. When he breaks from her, he is glancing over her shoulder.

"Now that you're not…distracted, you're worried about getting caught, aren't you?" She can feel him getting nervous but he manages a small laugh.

"Well, our circumstances would be hard to explain, not to mention our nakedness."

"We could always just tell the truth. We were consumed with the urge to fill one of our biological imperatives and although we considered waiting until we got home, this was as far as we made it." He is laughing and placing small kisses over her breast as he pauses to run his tongue over her nipple her body jerks against him. She smiles and eases off of him, sitting down, looking for her clothing and beginning the task of redressing in the small space.

"Well, luckily we didn't get caught so we don't have to come up with a reason." He is struggling back into his shirt and thinking about opening the back door just a bit to let some of the hot air out.

"At least not this time." She is hooking her bra but manages to glance at him, a knowing look on her face. She watches the meaning of her words sink in and a Cheshire smile break across his face. He shakes his head softly, wondering how he could have known her so long without touching her until now. He wonders too how he could ever survive never touching her again but quickly shoves that dark thought away. A burst of cold air blasts against him as she opens her door and he sees her shiver as she steps out and stretches her legs.

"Hurry up Seeley because now I'm really starving." She is already back in her seat and waiting for him by the time he is pulling on his coat. Once he is back behind the wheel he leans over and kisses her softly. She turns to him, parting her lips and deepening the kiss, telling him with her body what her words can not yet say.

"Okay, back to Bob and Harriet's Diner and this time we'll actually go inside."

Neither of them could stop grinning.

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A/N: You all know how it goes: Push the button, type type, happy happy author.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine, no matter, still playing with them anyway.

**Warning: Sexually explicit material, M rated.**

A/N: Another chapter of fluff and love and sex…please enjoy. Comments are welcome but either way, thanks for reading. For those of you that have asked, I am finishing the next chapter of Self Preservation and it will be up soon.

They discussed the case through lunch and by the time they are back on the road, Temperance can hardly keep her eyes open. He notices her head bobbing slightly and then jerking as she wakes after just a few seconds.

He slips out of his coat and pulls it from behind him, folding it over and placing it on the seat against his thigh.

"Temperance, lie down for a little while and get some sleep." He pats the coat and clicks the steering wheel up a notch so she has room.

"You're just as tired and driving; I can shake this off and help you stay awake." Her voice is low with fatigue and her eyes are heavy and he still thinks she looks unbelievably sexy.

"You came into this case after a full day of work and have had very little sleep; I was rested when we left yesterday. I've had coffee and I'm not tired. I'll roll down the window a little to keep some cold air on my face and I promise I'll wake you if I feel at all tired. Now put your head down and rest for a little while." She is staring at him with a protest on her lips but in truth she knows he has a good argument and she is exhausted.

"You wake me if you feel even a little tired." She slides the shoulder strap from the seat belt over her head and curls up next to him, tucking her head against his thigh and resting her hand on his leg.

"I promise I will, if I even blink too long." He is laughing softly and once she is situated he gently strokes her hair until he's sure she has fallen asleep.

He steals glances at her while he's driving, and tries not to think about her warm hand on his leg. He has wanted her for so long that he still can't believe they're finally together. He has thought of hundreds of scenarios that might bring them together but certainly walking in on her while she was fantasizing about him was never one of them. He couldn't think about her masturbating unless he was doing so himself and even then it was rare he allowed his mind to go that far with thoughts of her. There had been so many moments that he had been aroused by her without her knowing the effect she had on him, he had been forced to leave her presence on many occasions to avoid an embarrassing situation. He thought at first that it was just because she was beautiful and any healthy male would be turned on by her but he soon realized it was more than that. Even when there were other women around, he couldn't stop thinking about her, comparing them to her. She became the standard by which he judged all other women and in the end no one came close to her.

He knew when he got back he would have to tell Cam the booty call nights were finished and he was actually relieved about that idea. He felt her getting more serious, touching him possessively when the team was around and wanting to spend more time with him outside of work. He enjoyed being with her but his heart was never in it and both of them knew it. His heart was on reserve, waiting, hoping that one day Temperance would see him as more than her partner and her friend.

Her hand flutters on his leg as though calling his attention to the fact that the waiting is now over. He smiles, she's more uninhibited than he had ever hoped. He is amazed by how readily her body responds to him and by her aggressive appetite for sex. He expected her to carry a bit of reservation with her, that measured distance that no one is ever allowed to cross but she shocked him. There was not an ounce of reservation in her, he felt like she focused every cell in her body on him. He has never been so overwhelmed by a woman, her skin, her scent, the way she looks at him, the sound of her voice, the feel of her against him, the taste of her, it's all too much. He already feels the ache of wanting her again. He hasn't had so many erections in one day since he was a teenager. He shakes his head, focusing on the road and trying to ignore the twitching in his loins. He hopes this case ends up being a clean catch and that they can discover enough by tomorrow to be able to go into the weekend without having to work on it. He has other plans for the weekend now.

He sighs heavily and lets the memory of her move through him, in the tub, in the bed, in the shower and in the car. He thinks about how much he's going to miss that bathroom and starts to laugh at himself. Then there is the car, he had sex with her in the back of his FBI issued vehicle, he can hardly believe it. He knows she's comfortable with her body and with sex. She is certainly bolder than he is, often teasing him for blushing when a sexual subject comes up. He always gets tongue tied and embarrassed while she speaks with her usual honest clinical ease. There is something to be said for being raised without beliefs in religion, guilt or shame; it has certainly left her free to be herself on a very primitive level.

He wonders when he will have the nerve to tell her that he loves her, that he has loved her all along. His palms begin to sweat with the idea of it and he decides the time will naturally present itself. He thinks it's too soon to tell her now and he's afraid if she's overwhelmed she'll shut down. He pushes the thought away, immediately saddened by the idea of her drawing away from him.

He passes the time thinking about her and before he knows it he is turning onto the highway near D.C. He slides out his phone and orders Thai food, promising the clerk an extra big tip to walk the bags out to the car when he pulls up to the restaurant. She is still sleeping when they pull into her parking lot and he strokes her cheek and softly says her name until her eyes flutter open. She is disoriented for a few seconds and he watches her take in the car, the spicy peanut scent of the Thai food and his smile. She squeezes his thigh with her hand and sits up, disentangling herself from the seat belt.

"I can't believe I slept all the way home, and you went in to get Thai, how could I have slept through that?" She runs her hand through her hair, pulling it back from her face and shaking her head.

"I had them bring it out to the car so you wouldn't wake up until we arrived here. I didn't want to disturb you until I had to; you looked like you were resting so peacefully." He is suddenly shy at his admission that he was observing her while she slept.

She watches him for a moment, taking in his reserved expression and the fatigue weighing heavily in his eyes.

"You look exhausted, let's go in and eat so you can get some rest." They unload the car, taking everything inside. She is uncharacteristically nervous once they're inside and the feeling confuses her. She watches him takes the food to the coffee table and drop onto the couch. He rubs his face, trying to clear his head, knowing she'll want to go over the case and strategize their interviews for the next day.

"What do you want to drink Seeley?" She waits as he contemplates, smiling at her when he looks up.

"Milk, if you have it, water if you don't and I'll be right back." He walks from the room and when he returns to rejoin her on the sofa she notices he seems more awake. His hair is damp and she knows he splashed water on it to refresh himself. She eats her noodles for a while from the carton and then offers it to him and they trade containers. She is pausing to write the list of who they will be interviewing the next day. He snags a dumpling from the container on the table and she grabs his wrist and guides the bite to her own mouth.

He looks at her with mock surprise, "we're supposed to be sharing the dumplings."

"We are, you just shared some with me." She is grinning while she looks over her notes and he snags the container off the table.

"Well, sharing means we both get some." He knows that in reality he would gladly feed her every dumpling in the box just to see her mouth open and reach for them.

"Don't finish all those dumplings Seeley or I'll have to hurt you. I think we're going to have to order two from now on because you hog them." He holds a dumpling on his fork, dangling it over his mouth. "I hope for your sake that's not the last one." He drops it in and looks at her boldly.

Just as she reaches for him he dips his fork into the container and produces another dumpling. "I would never deny you the last dumpling Bones. I value my life too much." Laughing, he feeds her the final bite and he swallows hard as he watches her. She sets down her notebook and picks up her container and chopsticks, eating and resisting the urge to run her hand into his hair.

"Next time buy two orders of the dumplings so there are plenty for both of us." He has refocused his attention on the spicy chicken and she smiles at his almost child like ability to be distracted when he's tired. "You know, it's still early and I can fill out the reports on the evidence we found today. You should go and lie down for a couple of hours."

He looks at her strangely, trying to adjust to the fact she just told him to go lie down as though she has ever sent him to nap in her bed before. She is blushing as the silence of the moment stretches between them. He sets down his container, knowing he is finished and wondering how this will all work out and still manage to feel normal. She stands suddenly and takes his hand and he follows her willingly because he would follow her anywhere. She leads him to her bedroom, the rich earth tones warming and soothing him even as they enter.

"Now, let's get you ready for bed." There is a gleam in her eye and he is immediately more aware of her. She unbuttons his shirt and pulls it from his body, concentrating on her task, never looking up at him. He stands and lets her do with him as she wishes, grateful of her hands on him. He tries to think of other things to stop his own arousal but her hands keep him grounded to this room, to this moment and her touch. Her scent fills him as she tilts her head to unbuckle his belt and undo his pants and his penis stirs in spite of his efforts. She steps away from him and pulls back the sheet and plush down comforter on her bed. "Sit down Seeley."

He sits on the edge of the bed as she removes his shoes and socks. She lifts his legs, forcing him to lie down as she rests them on the bed and covers him with the comforter. She leans down to kiss him and his hand comes up and cups her breast, his palm grazing back and forth over her nipple. She tilts her head, kissing him deeply; pressing him into the bed as her tongue slowly explores his mouth once again. She pulls away from him, her eyes shining the dusky blue of an evening summer sky in the dim light.

"Rest, I'll wake you in a few hours." She quickly places a kiss on his forehead and moves away from him. She lays his clothes across the back of a chair and turns off the light, slipping from the room. He lays very still, wrapped in her soft sheets, the scent of her enveloping him in the darkness. His mind swims in a pool of desire for her even as he is drifting off to sleep.

Two hours later she sits on the sofa sipping tea and still doing paperwork, trying to act like it's any other working evening but knowing that it's not. On any other evening that she is home doing paperwork Seeley Booth is not sleeping half naked in her bed. Half naked because she removed his clothes and in her bed because she put him there, it's still shocking to her. Booth, her partner, her friend, the star of her fantasies for well over a year now is here, with her. She knows it won't be easy but now it doesn't seem to matter and the calm with which she realizes this surprises her. She feels her life dividing, all of her memories sliding behind a line into an area that will forever be known as _before Seeley_. She trembles slightly at these thoughts of such permanence in her life.

Seeley is asleep in her bed, where she tucked him in and had to force herself to walk away before she peeled off her clothes and climbed on top of him. What has gotten into her? She feels so driven by her own arousal that it's somewhat frightening to her. Her mind flits to several species that have only a precious few days to mate before nature intervenes on some cruel level and she laughs out loud. They have time and still she feels somehow driven to touch him, to kiss him, to mate with him on the most primitive of levels as though the burden of procreation rests solely on their shoulders. Why Seeley? Why does she feel this way with him? She has slept with other men; she even had feelings for a few of them. Why is this so different? Because she knows he loves her? That can't be it, because she knows that other men have loved her, even when she had desperately wished that they wouldn't. She slows herself down, taking her thoughts back to the facts. The facts, her defense mechanism and the road that leads to all things true.

They have always been attracted to one another, right from the very beginning. That is a fact; Angela called it their natural chemistry but all Temperance knows is that she tingles in the most personal way whenever he is near her. He has rescued her on more than one occasion. That is a fact, even though she doesn't think she normally needs rescuing. He would do anything for her. Actually the real fact here is that he will not only do anything for her but also some things that she hasn't even thought to ask him to do. She trusts him. When she and Jack were trapped in the car, Jack told her it was faith, her unwavering belief that he would find them. She knew he wouldn't give up, she trusted him to keep looking and she kept working on keeping them alive because she knew that's what he expected of her. It's true; she trusts him, has faith in him and believes in him. As she thinks these words she feels the religious weight of them and smiles knowing he would be mortified to have their relationship compared to religion. After all, he blindly loves…her brain stops, everything stops. Slowly the facts all click into place in her mind and like a puzzle the truth takes shape and materializes in the solution. The difference is that _she loves him_.

She stands, the reports spilling from her lap into a pile on the floor. She walks around the room, needing to move. She loves him, the phrase echoes inside her and she wants to run but knows that she can't outrun what's inside her head. It isn't that they're going to try this relationship and that he loves her, she's been in that situation before, but she has never loved anyone. It's frightening to her, she feels suddenly vulnerable, exposed somehow as though all her nerves are more sensitive. She takes a deep breath and tries to calm herself. She hasn't told him and she doesn't have to, at least not right now. She has time to get used to the idea herself. She never expected it to feel so big, so scary. She walks over and picks up her paperwork from the floor, straightening it and settling herself back into her seat. She glances down at his writing on the page and spontaneously smiles. He's a good man with a good heart and he would never intentionally hurt her. That's what her mother always said of her father. She relaxes herself, letting the last of the panic seep away. She loves him. She smiles again because mostly it feels good, she feels good whenever she's with him. They have certainly already seen each other through some difficult situations and they managed to come out the other side and still be friends.

She gets up, picking up and neatly placing the paperwork in a folder before walking to her bedroom. She pauses at the door to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. She can make out the form of him in her bed and her heart beats a little faster. He has kicked back the covers in his sleep and her eyes move over the expanse of his chest rising slowly. She strips off her clothes; she is not a woman of pretense. She wants to feel him against her, his firm body warm with sleep pressing into her until all her thoughts are driven from her brain. She crawls under the covers and moves up next to him. She watches him sleep for a moment, lightly running her fingers over the smooth plains of his chest. She leans in and inhales the scent of him, closing her eyes with the sense of calm that washes over her. The idea of loving someone has always terrified her, but this isn't just someone, this is Seeley. He is the only person in the world that makes her feel safe just by being in the same room. She strokes his cheek, tracing the line of his brow and jaw and smiles softly as he stirs under her touch. She begins kissing his chest, her mouth open, her tongue leaving a moist trail as she moves across him. She feels the shift in him as he wakes and smiles at the small gasp as her hand slides under the elastic at his waist and wraps around him.

"I thought I was dreaming." His words are rough, dragging from his lips as he rises from sleep. His arm slides around her waist, moving down and massaging the cheek of her ass as he pulls her closer against him. She lifts her face to his and kisses him, her tongue matching the rhythm of her hand. He groans into her and she rocks her hips into him in response.

She breaks the kiss, "I told you I would wake you." Her lips skim across his jaw and around his ear.

"Yes you did and I have to tell you, I really like your technique. It beats the hell out of an alarm clock." He hears her chuckle softly before taking his earlobe between her lips. Her hand increases in speed and he tips his hips off the bed, pressing himself toward her. He takes her hand from his penis and rolls them over, pinning her to the bed beneath him. He holds her hands in his and begins moving his mouth over her from the sensitive spot at the base of her slender neck to the one where the curve of her breast begins. As his mouth captures her nipple she cries out because this is exactly what she wants, to be consumed by him. She wraps her legs around him and hooks her ankles, pulling herself up against him and grinding her hips up and down his aching penis.

He releases her hands and one moves to his back while the other tightens in his hair. He senses a stronger need in her, a shift. He looks in her eyes and is lost in the feeling that there is both a question and an answer there. Her kiss is languid and passionate and for a moment he thinks he could just kiss her like this all night. When he feels the slick wetness of her arousal as she presses her hips into him he quickly abandons the idea of just kissing.

He enters her with one long smooth stroke and she pulls back her knees and arches up to receive him. A low moan rumbles in her chest and she shudders with the wave of pleasure that this moment brings. This moment that has never felt like this with anyone else. She closes her eyes as he moves within her, the deep thrust making them both gasp.

"Temperance," he wants to tell her that he loves her, that it can be only her, that somewhere in the last 24 hours his life has evaporated and the only thing he can hold in his hands that feels real is her. He wants to say so much but her body tightens around him and his words stick in his throat. Even knowing how he feels about her, he never expected it to feel like this. He slides back and rocks his hips, burying himself into her again. She arches toward him, pressing her fingers into his back. He kisses her, tasting her again until their breathing becomes too shallow and he dips his head to her neck. He moves within her with a steady pace now and the sounds she is making feed his desire.

Temperance moves her hand to cradle the back of his head, holding him against her as his hot mouth covers her breast. Sharp aching jolts radiate from the nipple he is working over with his tongue and teeth and her hips increase their speed against him. He eases his hand between them and presses her clitoris with his thumb. She whimpers, unable to follow any one sensation, her body now arches and bucks against him, seeking release. He lifts his head and his hand moves under her shoulder, holder her firmly as he lets go of his restraint and thrusts rapidly into her. Her body arches up into him, tightening, winding up until she begins convulsing around him, a cry of pure passion resounding from her lips. He continues to push into her, his own release bursting from him as her muscles clench and ripple around him, her spine bowing with the waves rising over her. She can feel the heat of him spreading deep within her belly as her body shudders and twitches against him.

He releases his tight grip on her and she feels his body start to relax under her trembling touch. They are both fighting for air, hearts racing, over heated but unable to pull away. It seems to her that a long time passes before the roaring in her ears has subsided and she is once again taking deep breaths. Her hand is stretched flat against his back now and she can feel the easy rise of his chest although his heart is still pounding against her. The air chills them as the sweat on their skin begins to cool and she draws closer to him. He lifts himself, leaning on his fore arm and smoothes the hair away from her face. His lips graze against hers and he eases himself out of her. She shivers in the burst of cool air that replaces him. He pulls the comforter up over them and draws her against him.

He is lightly stroking the arm she has curled across his chest, "I never expected to feel like this." It's all he can manage to say and his mind is searching for what he will tell her when she asks him 'like what', so her response surprises him.

"Neither did I." She sighs against him and her warm breath slides across his skin. His hand continues to move over her, gently tracing the lines of her.

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	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: They are not mine, but seriously, they would be SO much happier with me.

**Warning: Sexually explicit material, rated MA**

A/N: Okay, yet another smut/fluff chapter. Don't worry, they'll go into work and face Cam eventually but for now I am just hooked on having them lost in each other. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Note to omg: The first sentence in the second paragraph of chapter one states "She turned off the light, leaving a small emergency light glowing in the outlet near the sink; the room sank into a soft dim glow. She stepped back into her hotel room and poured herself a glass of wine, then returned and dropped her robe." It's here that the lights get dimmed and the door is opened, long before Booth ever showed up…I hope this helps!

Temperance awakes with a start, her body jerking against Seeley's solid form. She tenses for a second before settling against him.

"Are you okay?" His hand is stroking her hair, moving in a soothing rhythm over her.

"It was just a dream. What time is it?" Her voice is thick with sleep and he briefly closes his eyes against the feeling that washes over him at the sound of her.

"It's 9:07, you haven't been asleep very long." He feels her lips brush his chest as she curls tighter around him. "What do you think the chances are that we get this case pretty much cleared up tomorrow so we have the weekend free to spend some time together? How much time do you think you need with the bones?"

"Well, that depends on how quickly the interviews go and I still have to put the skeleton together and finalize cause of death. We could go in now and I could work on the skeleton so that tomorrow we could get the interviews done while the rest of the team works on trace. We could be back here by midnight." She suddenly feels a stab of insecurity. It's presumptuous of her to assume he will just come back here with her. She is usually concentrating her efforts on how to get a man to leave her house, not how to get one to stay. She wants him to stay though, the thought is foreign to her but the feeling is clear. She wants to feel him against her, his skin on hers, his muscles moving beneath her palms, his breath in her ear. She turns slightly when he speaks, lured back into the moment by his voice.

"We still have all the preliminary reports from the scene to do."

"I started them at the scene, when we did the body recovery and finished them while you were sleeping; they just need your signature."

"Wow that was quick, thanks. Did you say _we_ could come back here?" His shifts gears so fast she has to think for a second to catch up with him.

"Yes, if you want to that is." The usual confidence has slipped and he feels the hesitance in her words.

"There is no where in the world I would rather end up tonight than back here in this bed with you." His hand is moving down her side and as his fingertips brush over the edge of her breast he feels her nipple tighten against him. "I'll go with you tonight on one condition."

"Oh you have conditions now?" Her voice has dropped to a soft sound and his hand continues to move over her, dipping down across her abdomen and back to the gentle curve of her hip.

"Come on now Bones, this is negotiating. I give a little, you give a little and we both end up happy." He is circling her breast in a lazy pattern that never quite reaches her tightened peak.

"Well, I like this part where you give a little. What is your one condition?" Her words quiver slightly as his hand slides back and over the swell of her ass. His fingers trail heat across her flesh and everywhere he touches her skin it tingles and awakens.

"If I'm giving up part of tonight to work, actually getting out of this bed and leaving your remarkable body then you have to promise me that after the end of the day tomorrow we won't work _all weekend_." She gasps as his fingers gently kneed her breast, her hips press into him and his hand trails down across her belly and between her thighs. His fingers press lightly, sinking between her folds. She moans and arches toward his hand. He dips his head and sucks her nipple into his mouth. She cries out and bucks her hips and he completely sinks his fingers into the depths of her. He curls his finger tips, dragging them slowly along the soft flesh that is clenching around them. He adds a third finger and plunges them back into her. Her hand grabs his hair as she hisses his name. He matches the rhythm of his mouth and hand and her hips rise to meet him.

He lifts his head, trailing kisses up to her ear where his tongue flicks her lobe playfully. "So Temperance, do you agree to the condition?" His hand continues it's steady pace and his thumb slides up, striking her clit with every stroke. She can't think when he's touching her like this, there is nothing but the feel of him. Suddenly he stops everything and her eyes pop open and look at him, wide with surprise and shining with desire. "I asked if you agree to the condition."

"Yes… I agree… the whole weekend." Her breath escapes in short pants and her body is rocking against his trying in vain to force movement. He smiles, liking this form of negotiating with her.

"Then we should be getting up to go, right?" He is laughing softly, his lips hovering just above her.

"Seeley Booth you best finish what you started." Her eyes flutter closed as he rubs his stubbled cheek along her jaw.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll finish it myself." At her words his head floods with images of her touching herself, arching out of the water, moaning. His penis hardens with such force it's almost painful and he shifts in discomfort. His balls ache from all the days' activities so the erection surprises him. He moves his hand back to her body, stroking her thigh as she spreads her legs further for him. His fingers enter her again and she releases a satisfied sigh. His touch is deeper and as he finds the sensitive rigid spot within her, her hips drop back and the muscles across her abdomen begin to quiver. A sound he has never heard, a purring whimper is rolling from her throat. He rubs fast circles over the tightening flesh and presses his thumb back against her clit. He continues until she is moving hard against him, her eyes tightly closed, her body fighting for release. He captures her nipple back in his mouth and her nails sink into his back as she grabs him. Her movements are erratic and she suddenly arches up, her body trembling and bowing against him as the orgasm peaks. Her hips drop back against the mattress and begin thrusting madly as it rips through her. Her toes curl, her knees come up and he feels the sharp sting in his shoulder as she sinks her teeth into his flesh. He is struggling to hold onto her, amazed as her strong body surges and recedes within his grasp. He lifts his head, watching her face, trying to absorb every detail of her at this moment when she is so completely his. Her thighs snap together, her body bearing down, she is crushing his hand between her legs as she slows, her whole body now a pulsing movement that he can feel into the very center of her.

He watches her closely, the thin sheen of sweat like dew over her skin, her body gasping for air, her heart pounding so hard he's not sure if he can hear it or is feeling it inside her. He is perfectly still, waiting for her to calm, grateful to be able to just bask within this moment. When she finally opens her eyes he is looking at her with such awe and reverence that she can not speak. She opens her thighs and as he tries to ease his hand away from her she jumps and whimpers. Grabbing his wrist she slowly eases his hand away, bringing it up against her chest. She clenches her legs back together, trying to calm the still twitching muscles.

He takes in a slow deep breath, willing his erection to subside. It's a battle he can not win with her in his arms. He knows there will be time later, when they come back from the lab. Right now he is content to trade his immediate desire for the chance to spend the entire weekend with her. She is still holding his hand against her chest and as he breathes the rich scent of her tortures him. He wants to lick his fingers and taste her but he knows if he does they won't make it to the Jeffersonian tonight. He does have his limits.

She gently strokes his cheek and his lips barely graze hers in a kiss. "If we're going to go in, we should probably get moving." His voice is deep and not completely convincing.

"By the way, I'm not sure an agreement extracted under these circumstances is completely ethical or binding." She is smiling as she speaks and he is amused that she's teasing him, she is playful in a way that he has never seen in her before now.

"Oh, I'm sure it's binding. You're not trying to back out of it now are you? Because _that_ might be unethical." He looks at her quizzically, trying to be serious.

"No, I'm good to my word. I just don't think it's fair to negotiate when my judgment is impaired, but if that's acceptable to you then just remember later that you set the ground rules." She has a satisfied expression on her face and he is certain that he has just been set up to pay for his negotiating tactics. He has the feeling that the price she'll extract will be high but that he'll be more than willing to comply. "Okay, let's get up and go in, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can be back here." She kisses him and climbs out of the bed, walking to the dresser she pulls out jeans and goes to the closet door where she stands for a moment just looking into the space.

He lies in the bed for a few moments, watching her naked form move about the room. He enjoys watching her; she has no shame or self consciousness about her nude body so her movements are completely natural.

"Seeley, stop staring at me and get ready to go." She is looking right at him and he is completely busted because just a second ago he was gazing down the line of her back, openly admiring her ass.

He decides honesty is the best policy, "I enjoy watching you move, especially when you're naked. You have no idea how beautiful you are." She turns and looks him in the eye as though she is gauging the sincerity of his words.

She looks away suddenly and continues pulling a top from the closet. As she steps her long leg into a pair of silky green underwear he scrambles from the bed, knowing that to continue watching her is only going to get him in trouble.

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He is aware that they have never worked like this, alone at the Jeffersonian. They have worked together, and been here alone once or twice, but they have never gone in and worked a case together with no one else here. In no time at all they settle themselves to the tasks at hand. Seeley knows she is always dedicated but part of him hopes that her concentrated efforts are, in even a small way, due to the fact she wants to get done so they can concentrate on each other.

Temperance has assembled the bones and done the preliminary examination of the skeleton. She has finished preparing the trace off the body for Jack and Zach and left them copies of her reports along with tags corresponding to evidence bags. When she enters her office Booth is sitting at her desk, writing diligently.

He looks up as she enters and smiles, "tell me that we're done for the night." He gets up, conscious of the fact he is sitting in her seat, her scent has been stroking him as he filled out his paperwork. It took all his control not to walk out and press his lips to the back of her neck to steal just a taste of her. Now as she approaches him, his hands are already reaching for her. He pulls her against him and is surprised when her arms slide around his waist and she leans into him.

"We're done for the night."

He tips her chin so she's looking at him because he knows how literal she can be. "Are we really done or are you just saying that because I asked you to?"

She kisses him softly, "we're really done, for tonight, so let's pack up and go." He captures her lips in a slow kiss and he is sure that she is only allowing it because she knows that with the exception of security, they're alone in the building.

She has been thinking about him, even while she was working. The thought of his touch cast a shadow on everything she did, no matter how hard she concentrated. It didn't help that as she stood there a soft tug in her thighs prodded her memory of the last two days. She had been painfully aware that he was in her office sitting in her chair and her mind kept drifting to images of her walking in and sliding her legs across his firm thighs. She had to try to completely block him out to get anything done at all. She's both irritated and fascinated by this new phenomenon.

She pulls slightly back from him, "Seeley, take me home, take me to bed." The look in her eyes is unmistakable and he aches to back her onto the couch and spread her silken thighs so he can take her right here. It is her simple request that changes his mind. She wants to go home, to bed, with him.

He whispers against her ear, his warm breath causing a shiver to dance down her spine. "I'd love to." He releases her to pack up his things, telling himself there will be other days for them to consecrate her office. He shifts his thoughts back to her home, the waiting bed and the feel of her beneath him. His body remembers the feel of her rising up against him and her legs clenching around his waist. He can hardly take a deep breath.

"Seeley, are you coming?" Her voice snaps him back to reality and he looks up at her, she is smiling at his expression. He stacks his reports and separates them into several manila folders before tucking them under his arm.

They walk rapidly from the building propelled equally by the need to acquire distance from this place of work and the desire to reach a place of pleasure.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: Sexually explicit material, rated M for adult content.**

Disclaimer: Not mine, and I'm okay with that.

A/N: With just a thread of a plot the fluffy smut continues. I can't help it, the more they show them with other people in the series the more I want to write them together in my work. It makes me feel better. Please enjoy and thanks for reading.

In the darkness of the car she steals glances at him, her body on high alert.

"Do you need to go by your apartment?" She isn't totally sure how this works, the moment feels awkward to her.

"No I have my duffle bag and a clean suit in the truck." He smiles and his face is suddenly lit by pale red light as they stop.

She knows about the suit, he hasn't been home since they arrived back in town. Why had she asked him? She is suddenly nervous and she turns her gaze out the window to try and focus on anything but him.

"Temperance, are you sure you still want me to stay, because you seem uncomfortable and I won't hold it against you if you've changed your mind. I don't want you to do anything that you don't really want to do." He speaks calmly but his heart is pounding and he is painfully aware that if she sends him home he will spend the night lying in bed with his hands aching to touch her.

She does not turn to look at him and he struggles not to clench the steering wheel.

"No, no I haven't changed my mind. It's not that…" She falls quiet and he waits, simultaneously relieved by the fact she said no and concerned by her mood. He knows that look and something is weighing on her mind.

She sighs heavily and her breath dances in patterns on the window. She feels like this isn't something that she's very good at doing, especially with him. She wants him to touch her and the feeling is so overwhelming she shudders.

"Hey, are you cold? What's the matter?" His voice is filled with concern and he keeps flipping his glance between the road and her profile. "Come on Bones, talk to me."

She knows he's watching her carefully, she can feel the thick weight of his stare. She moves her lips as though she is going to respond to him and then stops. How can she explain something she doesn't understand? A mere two days ago she didn't feel this way but he has opened this chasm of need in her that is threatening to swallow her whole. No matter how many times her thoughts travel over their time together, she can't find the moment when she lost control. She knows she has though because no matter what she's doing or how hard she's concentrating there is one thought that blazes in her mind, branded onto her brain. She just wants him to touch her, okay, more than touch her. She wants him over her, thrusting into the deepest part of her, pounding toward release with such intensity he is unsure whether to plead or pray. She feels her longing melt into a pool of lust low in her belly and she gasps at the rush of warm between her legs. She tries to relax back into her own skin, fully aware that he is watching her and waiting for an answer, an explanation.

"I'm fine, I just…" She pauses again, she just what? She thought sleeping with him would take the edge off of her wanting him, not increase it exponentially. She thinks her desire for him is so strong it may be seeping out her pores even as she sits quietly next to him. If he touches her she will lose herself, they'll have to pull over again and eventually they'll get caught. She sees the flash of a headline in her head _Couple Arrested, Unable to Stop Fornicating in Public_ and suddenly she starts to laugh.

He looks over at her, obviously confused by the burst of laughter.

"I'm sorry Seeley, I'm just not good at this part. The actual relationship part, so I'm a little overwhelmed."

"What overwhelms you Temperance?" His voice is easy now, relaxed in the knowledge that this is something they can handle, something he thinks they can talk through.

She calms, her tone and expression suddenly serious. "You, you overwhelm me. You and how much I want you all the time. It's very distracting." This is as close to explaining to him as she can manage at the moment.

"Jesus Christ, Temperance!" His erection rises with force and the car swerves dangerously to the left but he jerks it back into his own lane. He's grateful that the late hour has left the road nearly deserted and the driveway to her complex should be in sight in just a moment. His thoughts have seized up and her words run on an endless feed through his head. _HowmuchIwantyouallthetime, how much I want you all the time. How much I want you. All the time._

_How. Much. I. Want. You. All. The. Time._

"Seeley, what's the matter?" She holds on as he swings the vehicle hard into the driveway, his eyes fixed straight ahead, the tires whining a complaint against the pavement. He stops the car and leaps out before she can ask another question. Her door flies open and the rush of cold air against her sends an immediate chill crawling across her limbs. He pulls her from the car and up against him, his mouth seeking hers, crushing against her.

It takes only a second for her to respond, wrapping her arms around him and matching his sense of urgency. He is pressing her against the car and the cold of the metal seeps through her clothing to her skin. It's a shocking sensation now that her body feels like it's on fire. His tongue sweeps through her mouth, tasting the root of her words. She moans into him as his hands hold her tighter against him. She grinds her hips into him, pushing her center down his erection. She thinks she could cum by just rubbing up against him like this but he pulls away suddenly. She's shocked by his retreat but she knows they need to get inside. Her legs are trembling and he grabs her bag out the car and shuts the door. The beep of the alarm being set triggers her movement and she grabs his hand as they move toward the building.

It takes forever to cross the parking lot and for a moment it's like she is in a dream where the destination continues to move just out of reach. Then he is opening the door to the building and they are almost there. She can't look at him or she'll stop so she looks at her bag, still hanging from his arm. She reaches into it even as they are moving, digging for the keys to her door.

Then they are standing at the door and he's waiting.

"Temperance find the keys or I'm going to shoot the lock." Her eyes grow wide and her hand moves aggressively through the bag. At last he hears the sound of the keys as she jerks her arm out and moves to get them inside. He's kissing the back of her neck and she whimpers, trying to get the key into the lock has suddenly become a challenging task. She can't keep her hand still. He is sucking her flesh into his mouth, marking her and his hand has moved to the waist of her jeans.

The key slides in just as he gets the button undone and she pushes the door open, dropping her keys and shoving her coat to the floor. She hears her purse hit the floor and the door slam shut even before she turns around. He's sliding his coat to the floor when she reaches him so she takes advantage of these seconds while his arms are tangled. She wraps one arm around his neck and kisses him, sliding her other hand between them and stroking the swell of his erection through his jeans. Her tongue pushes through his lips, moving through his mouth, dueling with his own. Her aggression fuels his desire and he pumps his hips against her hand. He steps forward even as she is moving back so they hit the wall with some force. She breaks from the kiss to gasp and he drops his head to her neck and bites a path down to her shoulder. Her hand is undoing his pants so he moves slightly away from her, giving himself room to get her zipper down. He can see the hard point of her breast pushing against her shirt and he leans in and bites it through the material. She cries out and his movements go from urgent to frantic. She kicks off her shoes and is stepping out of her jeans and underwear, stomping her feet as she jerks her legs out of her clothes. He glances down and sees the shadow of moisture on her underwear from her arousal and his penis tightens painfully. He has to be inside her, now. She has pushed his pants down his hips and suddenly he grabs her ass with both hands and lifts her. She shifts her shoulders against the wall and her arms clutch for a second around his neck. As her legs wrap around him he plunges into her in one hard lunge and she is still yelling his name when he freezes. He is holding her against him with so much force that he know she will have bruises but he can not move or he'll cum. Her walls are pulsing around him and in his head he counts very slowly, at eight he feels he has stepped back from a cliff so very slowly he begins to move.

Her lips are pressed against his ear and he hears her softly say _yes_ as her muscles clench and then release him. He is almost out of her when he thrusts hard and her fingers dig into him, her teeth biting into the skin just below his ear. She lifts her head and looks at him, her eyes glassy, her expression pleading.

"Go, just…go." It's all she can manage to say and all he needs to hear.

He pushes into her, her shoulders pressing against the wall as he tips her hips toward him and just releases himself. Her head arches back and she tightens her hands into fists in his hair as his body slams into her again and again. A long moan careens from her lips and as he is thrusting he can feel her locked like a vice around him. Finesse and style are long gone and he is clear that at this moment he's fucking her. He's fucking Temperance Brennan up against the wall. The thought tips him over the edge and he cries out, stroking up hard under her and shuddering when she convulses around him. He pushes her body full against the wall and leans heavily into her, spending himself as deeply as he can inside her and momentarily keeping them upright. She is fighting hard against him, her body trying to rock with the waves crashing through her. The roar in her ears is deafening and she opens her eyes and uncurls her fingers from his hair. His arms are trembling or she is shaking so hard that it appears to be his arms, she's not sure. His head is down and she can feel his chest still surging as he gasps for air.

He knows he should put her down but he can still feel her fluttering around him and he's afraid if he loosens his grip, his legs will give out and they'll crash to the floor. He knows it's going to happen anyway when he feels the cramp tightening in his thigh, even his balls and penis ache. His head jerks up and he has a look of panic.

"My leg is cramping, we're going down." The sound in her ears has receded to something more like a steady rain so she hears him say it as they begin to slide down the wall. She moves her legs down to cushion them and they hit and roll with very little grace onto the floor. She's laughing and his face is shifting from a smile to a grimace as he moves to grab his thigh.

He is kicking his pants off, trying to sit and stop the spasm in his leg. She sits up, trying to stop the laughter as she takes in their state on the floor.

"Wait, wait, let me help you." She is pulling his jeans over his feet where they have bunched and become stuck.

"I think you've helped me enough already." His voice is whiny and he is pushing on his thigh considering that they may end up killing each other at this rate. She is still struggling to compose herself as she pulls his hand away.

"Stop being such a baby, you have to admit that it's funny. Now I _am_ a doctor so let your leg go and stretch it out in front of you." His look is petulant but he does as he's told. She begins to massage into the muscle, forcing blood flow. He leans back and lets her work on his leg for a minute and just as he is about to lodge a complaint the pain begins to recede.

"Hey, it's starting to feel better, sore but better."

She pauses and looks over at him, "try not to sound so surprised."

He pulls her toward him and kisses her, "I didn't mean it like that. It's late; it has to be close to two. Lets go to bed and get some sleep; we have to get up early tomorrow."

"Okay, let's go but get up carefully, that's going to ache for a day or so." She looks around and stands up, picking up clothes and laughing softly. She steels a glance at him and he is up and limping as he picks up his clothes, but he's smiling. As she is watching him he starts to laugh and shake his head.

"I'm sorry I dropped you." He can't contain himself and she knows it.

He looks at her standing half dressed holding her clothes and they both laugh harder as he takes her hand.

They are walking down the hall as she responds to him, "don't worry, it was definitely worth it."

Okay, he thinks they may not kill each other but she will certainly be the death of him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning: Rated M, sexually explicit content, please exit if you are under 18 years of age.**

Disclaimer: They are not mine but as long as I can write them like this, I'm okay with that.

A/N: As you wish readers…please enjoy and thanks for reading.

Seeley opens his eyes with a start, his arm and leg simultaneously jerking as he reacts to a moment in a dream. Actually it was a nightmare and the anxiety is still with him as he sits in the dark with Temperance moving against him. She must have felt him lurching as he woke or perhaps she is dreaming herself. She murmurs, twisting onto her back, the cover slipping just below the dusky berry nipple of one breast. He leans in and looks closely at the tender flesh of her nipple, realizing he has never seen it in this soft state of non-arousal. He feels a sweeping need to press his tongue against it, to see it tighten, to see proof that her body knows he's near. He pulls away, reminding himself that he is letting her sleep. Her skin appears almost luminous in the dim light and he watches the slow rise and fall of her breast, mesmerized by her. He moves his hand to her abdomen and wonders at the heartbeat he feels faintly throbbing within her skin.

His eyes trace her face, the arch of her cheekbone, the line of her jaw, the lower lip he wants to nip. He would like to lean forward and run his tongue over the shell of her delicate ear, kissing down her slender neck to the warm spot where the scent of her resides. He rests his head back into the pillow and sighs deeply. He's never going to fall asleep if he keeps watching her, so he closes his eyes. A smile breaks across his face in the dark as he realizes it doesn't matter, even with his eyes closed he can see her, feel her, almost taste her.

He tries to recall when she became such an integral part of his thoughts but he can trace only threads of this memory. He remembers a moment in the desert in Vegas, she had on a cap so, ironically, she wasn't squinting. The bright sun caused her eyes to look a brilliant blue and for a moment it was like some artsy advertisement for an independent film. Everything around her looked dull, washed with the sand from the desert it all appeared monochromatic and two dimensional. She was looking at him, saying something about how she would be going back with the bodies. She looked so vibrant to him just then, a Technicolor oasis with eyes like a river in a place where everything was dying of thirst, including him. He had made some lame excuse to get her to stay for a few days because at that moment he couldn't bear the thought of her leaving him. He was equally surprised and relieved when she acquiesced without a fight.

He smiles in the dark, the image of her on that day, so clear in his mind. In the days that followed she had become Roxie, a role she played a little too well. Roxie, with her breasts spilling out of her tight dresses, her lips painted a bright red and her hand on his ass. It was the vibrant Roxie he must have seen a glimpse of in the desert. She was Temperance on high volume, the very vibration off of her giving him a hard on that wouldn't go away until he beat it into submission in the shower. While they were in Vegas he showered a lot.

He's had feelings for her for a long time but has been to terrified to examine them. He's been attracted to her since the day he met her but it was Vegas that was his downfall. Before that trip he could wrap his sexual thoughts about her in a nice scientific boring blue lab coat. Once they came home he was out of control, hyper aware of every move she made around him. He had seen her as an extraordinary sexual creature and couldn't undo that image of her in his head. He knew it came from somewhere inside her and he wanted to go exploring until he found it, tamed it. His desire for her burned through him unchecked after that trip. There were days when she would look at him in a certain way and he would think for a second that he could see it in her too, almost smell it in the air between them. Then she would draw away and in the next glance she was all scientist, it was driving him crazy.

He had distanced himself from Cam when they returned from that trip, unable to be fair to her. If he closed his eyes when he was with her it was Temperance that slid into his thoughts. He feels a flash of guilt over the few times since Vegas that he has weakened when Cam called and gone to see her just to get rid of his own urges. Later when his well planted Catholic shame kicked in he always felt a little dirty and swore it would never happen again. It was for reasons like this that he never believed he deserved Temperance, never believed he would actually get to have her. His thoughts drag him back to the moment and he wonders what it will take for him to be the man she thinks he is, the man she doesn't even realize she expects him to be.

Seeley opens his eyes and looks at her again and considers for a moment actually waking her. He sees a purity in her that he believes is rare in the world. Part of it comes from her direct delivery of the truth and another part from a vulnerable spot that still reflects the pain of an abandoned fifteen year old girl. It's this part of her that he most often wants to protect, that piece that, although beaten up by her circumstances somehow managed not to be corrupt. She has kept herself intact, whole, while he feels he has sold off pieces of himself along the way just to stay sane.

He eases his hand down her abdomen and smoothes the skin just above her navel with his thumb. She begins to stir, her eyes moving under her lids even though she does not open them. He knows she is teetering on the edge of consciousness. Her hand flops out and strikes his chest and he sees her absorb the reality of his presence in her bed. To his delight a small smile tugs at her lips as she turns toward him. He rolls completely on his back and she curls against his side, resting her head on his chest and hooking her leg over his thigh, molding herself against him. He knows that if he slides his hand down her back and over her ass he can touch her opening. He wonders if she's wet and curls his fingers against the desire to find out. The thought of his fingertips resting against her slightly parted lips, feeling the heat of her like a second breath before entering her causes his penis to stir against his belly. His penis and his balls feel a bit tender and he smiles in the dark trying to remember the last time he felt discomfort from too much sex. It's hardly the kind of thing he can complain about to anyone.

He strokes her back lightly, resisting his urge to continue down between her parted legs. She responds with a satisfying groan, her spine lifting just slightly into his touch. He stills and waits for her breathing to deepen, wanting her to get what little rest is available. He closes his eyes and takes a slow deep breath, trying to ease himself into a state of slumber. Her scent fills him and despite himself he feels his penis twitch. He wants her again and he's not even sure if his body can follow through on that inclination. He tries to clear his thoughts but it's futile, there isn't a single path in his head that doesn't come back to her. So instead he relaxes and lets the images of her wash through him, over him. He smiles at the irony as he drifts off, he was a man dying of thirst and now he is a man drowning in desire.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She opens her eyes slowly, blinking in the dim light of predawn. She's not surprised that she's awake. She slept all the way home yesterday so collectively this gives her more sleep in one night than she's had in a long while. Seeley is almost beneath her and she pauses for a moment to just take him in, undisturbed. It's not until she looks down his torso that she sees his erection and gasps softly.

Very gently she eases the covers away from him, intrigued by his sleeping arousal. She's impressed by his penis even though she'll never tell him so. The smooth head and defined ridge, the sheer breadth of it pleases her. She hadn't expected him to be so well endowed but it certainly explains his confidence and cocky attitude. She smiles at her own pun, stifles a small laugh so she won't wake him. He's not fully hard and she wants to touch him, to wrap her hand around him and feel him grow solid against her palm or her lips, or inside her. Her stomach flutters at the thought. She tilts her head and looks at his face, still deep in sleep he doesn't move. She wants him, again. The thought shocks her. This is not how she ordinarily behaves; of course nothing about this has been ordinary. Ordinarily she's not having sex with her partner. Ordinarily she doesn't feel this frantic insatiable urge to have him inside her, filling her in the most astounding way. Ordinarily she doesn't think that her desire is so strong she could orgasm just by rubbing herself against him. Ordinarily she does not cum because he says her name. Nothing about this is ordinary.

Her fingertips graze over the light stubble along his jaw line. She lets her mind hover over the idea of loving him and the panic rises on a mighty wave within her.

She is disturbed by the realization that she loves him and yet is so terrified. She wants to discuss it with someone but Angela is more about the sex of it all, not the part about loving someone. She really doesn't have anyone else except Seeley and she can't discuss it with him. It's at moments like this that she so misses having her mother.

She pictures them for a moment, sitting at a small table in a coffee shop, drinking red tea that smells of cinnamon and talking. Her mother's dark hair falling about her shoulders with a few peppered stands of grey. Her hands, so much like Temperance's wrapped around her fragile porcelain cup for warmth. They would talk of so many things, of work and home, of Russ and her father, smiling and laughing. Then Temperance would tell her about her dilemma of loving Seeley but being so consumed with fear. Her mother would smile her brilliant smile and feigning confusion asks her if she meant _her partner _Seeley. Temperance would roll her eyes at her mother's not so subtle way of letting her know she wasn't always right. _Yes, that Seeley, mom. I don't know any other Seeley. _ Her mother would laugh and give her a pearl of wisdom about love, telling her that everything will be alright.

Temperance squeezes her eyes shut against the ache in her chest. The grief pulses to life even now, as though it is a living thing within her. She is immediately angry at herself for letting her mind go to such painful thoughts. She draws a deep breath, pushing the scene back into the dark recesses of her mind, locking it down so it will never drift into the light of day again.

When she is calm she opens her eyes again and is distracted by the early morning light skimming across the plains of him, deepening the shadows in between. Her body trembles even though she isn't cold and she wonders at her almost desperate response to his nearness. It feels like she's spiraling out of control and it invokes a whirlwind of fear in her but that's nothing next to the sheer terror that rises with the realization that she doesn't want it to stop.

She simply doesn't want to think anymore so she does the one thing she knows will silence her brain. She lifts her head and starts kissing a path down his abdomen, following the dark ridge of muscle to his hip. She feels a sharp intake of breath as he wakes and she crosses to his navel and dips her tongue in for a quick taste. Her hand wraps around the base of his penis and her mouth slips over the top. Seeley is not sure he can breathe. She slides her mouth up and down as her tongue strokes along, teasing the under side of him. As she moves a moan vibrates against him through her lips. He knows he isn't going to last long like this if he doesn't do something. She is curled against his side where she slid down to reach him so she yelps in surprise as he picks her up by the hips and pivots her over him. He adjusts her knees on either side of him and before she can protest his tongue has pushed between her lips and is hot within her. For a second she forgets the task at hand as her back arches up and her hips tip toward him.

Seeley laughs softly against her as he realizes that she is frozen but she recovers her surprise quickly and begins to move once again. When his tongue presses over her clit he can feel the deep moan through her mouth on his penis and the effect makes his balls tighten. Her long thighs give him plenty of room to move beneath her and he takes advantage of it by running his tongue from one end of her to the other. Every breath he takes is filled with the heady scent of her arousal. His hands grasp her ass, holding her to him as he thrusts his tongue from the tip of her clit to deep inside her, again and again. He loves that she is exposed and accessible to every whim of his mouth. He drinks her in and then flicks her clitoris between his teeth. Her body begins to quiver in his grasp and he knows she's close, her muscles draw tightly around his lips and tongue, pulsing beneath his mouth. She is also moving faster against him, he lifts his hips toward her, trying to hold on as the hot wet cavern of her mouth sucks around him. All of a sudden she lets him go and pulls away from him. Rocking her body, she quickly turns around and grasps his penis tightly as she places him at her lips and slowly slides over him. The feel of him filling her is too much and she is already coming, hard, her body lurches forward so he slams up into her. She is tight, in the grips of convulsing as his penis pushes past her sensitive throbbing folds and bursts within her clenching molten depths. It feels like she will never stop coming. She can feel the hot fluids running down her thighs as he thrusts into her and the waves continue to wrack her body. Then he is pushing as deeply into her as he can go and with each pulse of her body he presses harder against her until there is not a breath of space between them. Seeley pulls her down and holds her tightly against him, their bodies hot and slick and trembling forcibly. Her fingers press into him holding onto him as though her life depends on not letting go.

If she could form words she would ask him what the hell just happened but she's a long way from having a voice. They lay there for a long time and she watches the light slowly ascend to morning while he holds her against him. She knows she should get up and she moves that thought around in her brain but that's all she moves. Her body is still twitching, inside and she is aching from all the activity. A line from a text when she was a child keeps rising in her thoughts; _pain is your body's way of sending a message of warning_. Too late body, you're much too late.

Seeley is aware that he is still inside her and that every few moments he can feel her contract around him. His thigh muscle is burning deep in his leg and he knows it's going to hurt for a while. He has been with his fair share of women and never had a sexual experience this intense before now. It scares him and he knows if he's scared, she has to be terrified but he has no idea what to say, so he holds her. He decides he's going to stay this way until their bodies calm down, until he's not so overwhelmed or at least until she lets him go. All this time, he thought he knew how it felt to love her so he is astounded at just how wrong he has been. He relaxes his hold on her and feels her respond in the same way. He runs his fingers down her spine noting how her skin has been cooled by the air. There is still heat trapped between them, and he feels the damp sweat turn cold as it strikes the air when she moves her arm.

She lifts her head to look at him and her eyes are deep pools of swirling emotion. He wants to comfort her, to assure her somehow but in truth he's as lost as she is right now.

He smiles just a little, "we're okay, Temperance." When the words register, she smiles because she realizes they're for both of them. She gives him a slight nod of her head and lies back on his shoulder. In a few moments her alarm will begin to chirp and they'll have to get up to get ready for work but for right now she chooses to stay still and believe him. They are both going to be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

Bathing Beauty chapter 10

**Warning: Sexually explicit (mildly), rated M (for mature as well as over 18).**

Disclosure: I can do anything but make money from them, which is really fine with me.

A/N: This is rather mild for me but the next couple of chapters, well…they're scalding. I hope you enjoy this and thanks for reading.

The hot water feels good against her, she feels like she's coated in him and she's surprised that somehow that idea flushes her with warmth. Why does it surprise her when everything seems to be doing that to her? Everything that has to do with him that is. The scent of their coupling rises in the heat of the shower and dissipates almost as quickly. The same question keeps coming back to her. How is it that this man that she has been physically next to for almost two years suddenly makes her feel like she's going to combust if he's within a foot of her? A foot, who's she kidding, if he's in the same room. He seems to have taken possession of her body, coaxing orgasms from her at will. As if on cue she feels his arms snake around her waist and his lips suck at the water pouring over her shoulder. She sighs into the steam and turns to face him.

They had obediently risen from bed when the alarm sounded, peeling themselves apart and moving quietly into the bathroom. When she looks at him now he's smiling, the fear has left his eyes and it brings her a wave of relief. One of them needs to stay solid and right now she feels like she's been pushed from a plane and solid ground is impossibly far away.

"Good morning." He kisses her temple and she relaxes into his hug for a moment. She feels safe against him, which doesn't make sense to her because she's terrified of what's between them. His hand slides up and rubs her neck as though he can read her conflict through her skin.

"Good morning." She presses her forehead against his chest so his fingers can work the tension from along her spine. They stand for a few moments, trying to shift into their work mode but the gears feel stubborn this morning. Her hands rest on his hips as though they have always been there, as though when they are not on her own hips this is the most natural place for them to be. She looks down and notices that he's resting all his weight on one leg.

"How bad is that thigh hurting today?" She is filled with genuine concern but when she tips her head up his eyes are sparkling.

"I'm not going to try to lie to you, it's pretty sore but given how I injured it I'm not inclined to complain." He is smiling fully now and she can't help but return it. "I'll have to tell everyone I hurt it while running if they ask because I'm pretty sure you don't want me explaining that it happened while I had you up against the wall."

Her face blushes hotly and her womb throbs tightly with the memory but she's grateful that he's using the conversation to bring them back to themselves a little. She feels some of the tension leaving her and she shakes her head.

"You just don't want to admit to anyone that you dropped me. It'll ruin your macho image." His laughter fills the shower and they begin to wash and shampoo, momentarily released from the magnitude of their feelings.

The rest of their morning goes smoothly for her but after she's dressed and sitting in the kitchen with her tea a shadow falls across her features and her brow creases with the weight of her thoughts. How does this work? They go to work and come home at the end of the day and start to date? She doesn't like the way she feels, anxious and uncomfortable. What's wrong with her? Maybe she's coming down with something. A small voice in her head answers her; maybe you're anxious because you're sleeping with your partner and you have all these crushing unnamed feelings for him. Her head snaps up and he's staring at her and she knows immediately that he has been for a while.

"Temperance, what's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" She feels trapped by his gaze, as though he already knows, as though he read her thoughts as she was having them and asking her is a matter of manners. She can hear the rain beating the windows, keeping time as he waits and she distracts herself by wondering briefly when it started.

"What happens now? Where do we go from here?" The tone of her voice asks more than her words and he smiles that devastating grin that she always swore had no effect on her. Now it makes her wet with anticipation of his touch. It's becoming clear to her that some sort of hormonal overload has caused her to lose her mind.

"Well, we start by going to work." She shoots him a hard glare so he quickly continues, "and then it's really up to you. You could come to my place when you get off work, or I could come to your place." He hesitates to say that they could each stay at their own places because that's not what he wants to happen. He see's her hesitating so he stops dancing around and goes over to her. He turns her stool so she's facing him and eases his leg between her thighs. She can feel her pulse quicken and her belly clench as his leg moves between hers and his lips descend for a kiss. Her mouth opens to him and his tongue dips into her, and as long as he's kissing her it all seems so clear. She belongs exactly where she is at this moment.

He releases her and she looks at him, holding his gaze and sorting her thoughts.

"Temperance, don't make this more complicated than it has to be. Just stop thinking about it." His mouth drops to her neck, his tongue sliding under her shirt and down to the hollow between her breasts. His hands are stroking up her thighs and his request is filled, she's no longer thinking about anything.

He lifts his head slightly and his breath is warm against her as he speaks. "If you want I can drive you, we have to start those interviews this morning anyway. Do you actually need to go by the Jeffersonian or can you just call and check on the team?" He lifts his head to look at her despite the screaming urge to bury his face between her breasts. He glances down just once into the shadowy depth of her cleavage before giving her his full attention.

"Well I did leave detailed instructions last night of what I need them to do today so I suppose I could call and make sure they're on task and we could just head out from here." The idea of spending the day with him, at least the morning with him, working, greatly appeals to her.

"If it turns out you need to go in, I can always drop you off when we're finished, or back here so you can take your car if you like." He's giving her options, decisions, allowing her to feel like she has some control. She appreciates his efforts and wonders if he has even a remote idea of just how out of control she really feels right now.

"Okay, I'll call in a little later, I'm sure they aren't at work yet, it's still early. I better make sure I have all the reports and notes from last night." With those words she slides off the stool and away from him. She needs this distraction of work, something she knows, something solid that she understands and can think through without the flood of emotion that comes whenever she thinks of Booth. Even as she's checking all the files, she feels a little better, a little saner. She has always hidden her emotional vulnerability behind her clinical persona; it's her own built in self defense mechanism. She's aware that it's not going to work this time but even though she can no longer hide from him, her work does give her a sense of balance, of something familiar.

He's watching her ass and even though there is a part of his mind telling him he should stop, he doesn't. He openly watches her with a raw desire that feels relentless in him. Whatever it is that has been unleashed between them, it's more powerful than either one of them anticipated. He prays that she doesn't become so afraid that she wants to go back because she may as well ask him to make it stop raining. She has turned and is flipping through the files in her hands and he watches her fingers intently. It was such a brief time ago that they were dancing over his skin, rendering him unable to speak. His penis twitches and he laughs softly at his body's confidence in his ability to perform. It'll have to wait until later; he knows he needs some time to recharge. His appetite for her is voracious and the compulsion to taste her recurs so frequently that the only word he can think of to describe it is addiction.

"Seeley, are you ready?" Her voice snaps him from his thoughts and he smiles, of course he's ready. He's ready every time he lays eyes on her, every time he hears her voice, every time he catches a whiff of her scent and every time she touches him. Although as he turns toward her, limping on his sore leg he thinks she may be beating that state of readiness into submission.

"Hey, hold on a minute, the first interview is quite a drive so I want to refill my coffee before we go." She stands with her bags and watches him fill his travel cup which at some point he must have brought in from the car. His back is to her and she watches him move, deciding that his suits don't do his body justice. He may always tell her how expensive they are but they don't show the expanse of his shoulders or the way his chest tapers to his hips. Her fingers curl tightly around the files she's holding and she sighs softly, admiring his movements and feeling her body warm in response to him. Seeley Booth is in her house, in her kitchen, fresh from her bed, it's amazing to her. Her fingers move to her neck and slide under the edge of her shirt to the bruise she knows he left on her last night. She presses until she winces from the pain, checking her reality and forcing her to focus. This moment feels surreal to her and she thinks that actually, the last few days have felt like a dream, a dream from which she doesn't want to wake.

They exit together and once in the car she is comforted by a routine she knows well. He drives and she reviews the files, feeds him information, directions and addresses. They discuss background information and what it is he wants from this first interview. He keeps the car warm, adjusts the heat and maneuvers them carefully through the rain. They both have their jobs; they know what to do and how to act in this environment, so she's comfortable and twenty minutes into the drive she's actually relaxed.

"Bones, I'm starving so let's stop somewhere for just a few minutes so I can grab a bagel with eggs and ham or something quick like that." She's deep into a report and he thinks at first that she didn't hear him.

"Why didn't you eat before we left?" For a long moment he doesn't answer her so she turns to look at him. "Booth?"

As she watches she notices the color rise in his cheeks and can't imagine why he would be blushing. His eyes dart around a bit and it strikes her that he appears nervous.

"It's not like I've woken up in your bed before, much less naked, with you naked on top of me. It was a bit distracting. Then we ended up having to hurry and you were eating something disgusting mixed up in a cup so I just had toast and a banana. We have to work on that breakfast thing; it's the most important meal of the day you know. The meal we had at the hotel, now that was a breakfast." When he dares a glance at her she is staring at him and he knows he's been babbling.

When she thinks back he had been wandering around the kitchen, rather lost when he had stopped and decided to make toast. It never dawned on her to offer him breakfast; she just didn't do that kind of thing, she wasn't accustomed to having anyone around in the morning.

"When I'm home I usually eat on the run so I didn't even think about it. This morning I was far more distracted by the other hunger we've been trying to satisfy." Her statement, uttered so casually, causes his penis to stand up like an animal that has heard its master say its name. "If you want something to eat, let's go ahead and stop."

She feels badly for not thinking of him this morning as though she has failed some relationship test. She wonders how she ever could have thought she was capable of doing this; it doesn't come naturally to her. Her back stiffens against the doubt that washes over her. She is very still, trying to convince herself that by wanting more of him she hasn't set herself up to lose him completely. She feels his fingers curl around her hand, the tips brushing against her wrist, grazing the delicate flesh over her pulse. She wants to lean against him, let his confidence seep into her pores.

He pulls into the parking lot of a small local restaurant. It's the one thing he likes about being anywhere on the road, small family owned restaurants. Places where the food is made fresh every day by a woman who still speaks the language of her mother's country. As she reaches for the door handle she feels his hand slide along her neck, drawing her toward him. He kisses her, and although she thinks they should stop because they're working, she allows it. He moves slowly, tasting of coffee and filling her with his scent by his closeness. Her need for him does not rush through her this morning, it comes slowly instead, effervescing as it rises from deep within her.

When he releases her, she is both figuratively and literally breathless.

"We're working Seeley, we have to be able to work." Her voice is unconvincing, even to her. She is weighed by the knowledge that she wants him to kiss her.

"I know, I do, I just…I know." He hesitates but draws away from her, unable to explain himself. As much as he would like to continue he knows he has pushed his luck enough for one day.

Temperance needs to settle herself down a little so she dials Angela to stall for some time. Booth is grateful for the call, it gives his erection some time to subside. He listens to her professional voice checking with each member of her team, reviewing what their priorities are for the remains. He notes her vague answer when Angela asks if or when she'll be at the lab. She looks at her phone and then tells Angela to call Booth's phone with any questions because hers is about to run out of power.

After they go in and sit down, Booth sets his phone on the table between them so they can see who it's for when it rings. She relaxes a little after her call, having been assured that every one is on task.

She takes a moment to look around the restaurant and sighs heavily. The aging wall paper and worn linoleum tell her it has been open for at least 20 years. The shelf of ceramic ducks with blue ribbons tied around their necks confuses her until she realizes the peeling border must have once been that same shade of blue. The edges of the seat cushions are a cracked dusky blue vinyl and on a few of the booths there have been spots repaired with worn silver duct tape. Despite the neglect of the building the scent of the food is remarkable and she decides she is hungry enough to order something to eat.

The waitresses are in their early twenties and Temperance is sure they're related, probably sisters. The older one, with her hair pulled into a ponytail that appears much too tight approaches their booth with a thin smile. Her hair is brown and her eyes a worn shade of blue. Temperance thinks she matches the tired décor perfectly.

"I hope you ain't waiting on a phone call on that thing." She points to the cell phone on the table with disgust.

Booth looks up at her confused. "Why? Is there a policy here about talking on cell phones in the restaurant?" He assumes a small town like this would be offended by public conversations while others are trying to eat. There have certainly been times he wanted to go and hang up a stranger's phone because they were talking so loudly it disturbed him. People liked to eat in peace, relaxed, not assaulted by an often obnoxious conversation. He scans the walls looking for a sign that he may have missed.

"No sir, my dad runs a scrambler so no one can use a cell phone in the restaurant. It's to keep people off their phones, but mostly it's to keep me and my sisters from talking when we should be working." Her tone is flat and the resignation that echoes off of her is stifling.

Booth smiles at the girl but Temperance feels the sympathy behind it. "It's okay really, we can wait until later." He slides the phone into his pocket and looks at the menu trying not to look into the eyes of this girl whose routine life is ground in so deeply it appears to be an elongated grave.

They order and Booth sips what he is sure is one of the best cups of coffee he's had in a long time.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Angela thinks it's odd that Brennan isn't coming into the office, after being out of town for a few days she usually likes to get caught up on things. She sounded distracted although given that she had been in last night and finished all her reports and her examination of the body, she was probably just tired. God knows there were plenty of times Angela had spoken to her and she had not heard a word. She was on her way to her office when she heard her name called sharply and turned to see Cam walking briskly toward her.

"Angela, have you seen Dr. Brennan this morning?" For a second she considers lying to her and she's not even sure why. Dr. Saroyan's intense stare causes Angela to change her mind. Cam doesn't look like a woman that should be messed with this morning.

"No I haven't seen her but I spoke to her earlier. She called to say she had been in last night and had examined the remains and left us all directions concerning what she needs us to do." Cam's eyes darken and Angela takes a step back, observing her more closely.

"Did she say where the reports concerning this case might be? Where she is or when she might show up for work?" Her voice is definitely menacing and Angela wonders what has made her this angry.

"Your copy of the reports are on your desk, she's out doing interviews on this case and she may or may not make it back here today depending on how the day goes." She looks away, turning and trying to slip down the hall.

"What else did she say Angela?" The question is quiet and more unsettling than the aggressive tone of just a moment ago.

"That was all. Dr. Saroyan you look upset, is something wrong?" Angela tries to keep her voice as casual and non-threatening as she can, hoping to draw out the truth.

"She should be calling into me, not to you. I need to know every step of every case. I have been more than clear about this, on more than one occasion. If she shows up at any point please send her directly to my office." Before Angela can even think to respond Cam spins around and walks away from her. She suddenly has a world of respect for Bren and her ability to stand up to Cam, to have a brain that fires back as quickly and effectively as hers does. She picks up the pace to her office, she intentionally didn't tell Cam that Brennan's phone is about to lose power and that she can be reached by calling Booth. She hopes this information buys her enough time to get to Brennan before Cam so she can warn her.

Over the next hour Angela calls four times and leaves two messages. In a moment of desperation she even tries Brennan's phone but gets no answer. Her brow creases in concentration as she tries to piece together the events of the last 24 hours in an attempt to understand. Why can't she reach either Booth or Brennan? Why is Cam so pissed? Why are they being so vague about when they'll be in the office? Why does she feel that something is going on and she's completely in the dark?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Temperance sighs loudly as she takes rapid notes, transferring all the information from the last interview. She wants to get it all down while it's fresh in her mind. The cold rain has finally stopped but the wind still has a biting edge to it as it whips against the truck, rocking it slightly. They have parked and are trying to sort out what they already know to be true. He watches her write, her hand moving quickly over the page. Once again he thinks of her touching him, of her fingers digging into the muscles of his chest as she lowers herself onto him. As though he has spoken to her, she abruptly stops writing and looks up at him. The smoldering look in his dark eyes is unmistakable and her body leans toward him slightly, trying to absorb the heat of him. His need for her fills the car, thickening the air and pressing against her.

She's about to say something to him but in reality he hasn't done anything wrong. Actually, she thinks he's showing tremendous restraint against his obvious desire and the need for immediate gratification. Her breasts grow heavy as she watches his pants shift and rise. A sudden gust of wind howls around the truck sounding enough like a moan to make her thighs tighten.

"We know who did this and since he's already dead, there isn't anyone to arrest. We've interviewed everyone on our list accept one previous neighbor. All we need to do is make sure all the trace evidence corresponds and finish today's reports. So, let's call the lab and see if their results match our theory." He is trying to keep his voice casual but the underlying tone is thick with emotions that have nothing to do with the case. Temperance nods at him and flips open her phone before remembering that it has no power. She closes it and drops it into her bag just as Booth hands her his.

"Booth, there's something wrong with your phone, it won't connect. The FBI wouldn't have missed a payment on it, would they?" If she wasn't so serious he'd be laughing.

"If they did, it's the first time in my memory. Here, let me take a look." She opens her palm and his fingers stroke against her as he takes the phone. The touch is so slight and the reaction within her so powerful that it defies physics. She curls her fingers against her palm as though she's trying to hold the sensation there. She hears him cursing under his breath and turns her attention back to his source of frustration. Apparently he's not having any success with the phone either.

"It has power but it won't function. I don't know what's wrong with it, but I'll take us back to the bus depot we passed. You can call Angela from there; they always have a public phone." He reaches over and squeezes her hand, more for his own comfort than anything else.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dr. Saroyan stood at the door of Angela's office watching for a moment before entering.

"Angela, have you heard from Dr. Brennan yet?"

"No, not a word but since she said this morning that she may not come into the office today, I really didn't expect her to call."

"So she hasn't called to get the results of the tests she requested this morning? That's not like her. Let me know as soon as you hear from her." At just that moment Angela's phone rings on her desk and Cam snatches it up, glancing at the caller I.D. before handing it off with a look of disappointment on her face.

Angela looks at the phone before snapping it open, sure that a call from a public phone has to be a wrong number. As soon as she hears Bren's voice she looks around to make sure she's alone before speaking.

"Look Ange, something has gone wrong with Booth's phone and mine is out of power. I just need to know the results of the trace evidence so I can see if they match what we've found out at this end."

"Hold on a second." Angela calls Jack on the other line and asks him to discreetly get the reports and come to her office without saying anything to anyone. Her implied air of danger sends him rushing to do as she requests.

"Okay Bren, what's going on? I've called both of your phones and neither of you has returned my calls. Cam has been on the warpath since she arrived this morning and has been interrogating us as to your whereabouts. We are under strict orders to report to her if we hear from you at all." The concern in the artist's voice is apparent and the confusion in Temperance's is equally intense.

"I have no idea what's going on Ange. I wasn't aware that Dr. Saroyan was trying to reach me and I have no idea what would make her so angry." Temperance was running through the last few times she had spoken to Cam and couldn't come up with anything that would warrant anger.

"Look, I love you sweetie but is there anything you might have said that was more insulting than you realize?"

"Ange, I haven't seen her since last Tuesday when we left to get the body. When did all this start?"

"Thursday, sometime Thursday, that's when her mood shifted. Hang on a second, Jack is here with the results." He stands, listening as she reads the results into the phone so he's looking at her when she promises that they will keep an eye out for information on what's happening.

Booth is standing near her, engrossed in her conversation and trying to piece out what has everyone upset. He has heard enough to know that something has happened with Cam. He has heard enough to feel a stabbing pain of guilt slice through him. He wishes he could go back to the beginning and tell her everything, take back his sin of omission.

"Come on Bones, you can fill me in while we drive." He is already so cold that he barely feels the blast of icy wind as he steps through the door. He can't lose her after having this taste of her. Bile rises at the thought, burning up to the back of his mouth. He opens and draws in the cold air to try and calm himself down. How could he want her so badly and so completely fuck it up? He turns on the heat but doesn't drive, he just sits and waits for her to speak.

She recaps the trace results in layman's terms and the good news is that it all matches and the case is settled. She tells him of the grand inquisition and hostile attitude that Cam demonstrated all day. His eyes search her face for a moment before he begins.

"Temperance, I probably should have discussed this with you before now but the last few days have raced by and I just didn't get to it. You know there was a time that I was seeing Cam, it started shortly after she took this job. I think part of it was because we had a relationship before and so it was instinctual. We broke it off over six months ago but there have been a couple of times since then that I had sex with her. I want to be clear because I don't want you to be surprised if it comes up sometime. I'm going to tell her that I'm seeing someone so there is no issue, I'm just not going to tell her who. The thing is, we haven't seen her or spoken about this to anyone yet so she couldn't possibly know, which means her hostility can't be tied to us. I have no idea what she's upset about but I wanted to tell you, I don't want you to think I was trying to hide it." He stops, cringing as though he expects to be caught in a blast.

She freezes up when he mentions Cam and although she knew they had seen each other, she doesn't like to be reminded. As he speaks she learns that he broke it off, a while ago, which makes her feel a little bit better. Then it dawns on her to ask him, to be sure.

"When was the last time you had sex with her?" Her voice sounds distant to him as though she is sliding away from him. He flexes his fingers around the steering wheel, trying to hold onto something he can't even define.

"Five or six weeks ago, it's definitely been over a month." He is afraid to look at her and yet he wants her to know he's being serious. He drags his vision up to her eyes and it's obvious to him that she's measuring his sincerity.

It's the fact that he doesn't know the exact date that convinces her it really was just sex to him. She doesn't really care about Cam now, it's not like he's still seeing her. In Temperance's mind the important thing is that he doesn't think of them as just having sex. She suddenly, desperately wants to know that they are more than that to each other.

"Seeley, do you think we're just having sex?" Her voice is a little high from the rapid rush of anxiety.

"No, I'm not sure how to define what's happening between us but I can guarantee you that we're light years away from being just sex." The answer was immediate and emphatic, rushing from some place ruled by truth and impulse.

He shifts into reverse and pulls out of the parking lot because he is stung by her question and he feels the need to move. He understands why she felt the need to ask it but that doesn't ease the tightness in his chest. He drives on autopilot, knowing the way without seeing the way. He needs to let his emotional reaction fade before he can appreciate that her tone, when she asked him, clearly reflected that she wanted the answer to be no. She was afraid that he would answer her in some other way.

For a while they drive in silence like two people that are terrified by an accident they barely avoided. Temperance is confused by where things went wrong, they don't feel broken, just dislocated. Thinking it through she decides that she needs to say something to him.

"Seeley…" Her voice comes out as just a whisper as her throat constricts and the sting of tears well in her eyes. She freezes, afraid if she speaks or blinks she'll begin to cry. She waits, trying to hold onto control even though the emotions are expanding within her.

Her words come slowly and her shoulders tremble with the effort. "I don't care about Cam. I care about what's happening between us." He pulls the car to the side of the road and with one hand he hits a button and his seat slides back, with the other he unlatches her seat belt.

"Come here." She slides next to him and he unsnaps his own belt before pulling her across his lap. He feels her stiffen and he pulls her against him, just holding her. After a moment she relaxes into him. She starts to take slow deep breaths until she's sure that the threat of tears has passed.

He knows he loves her, has for a long time but this feels different than the other women he has loved. This doesn't feel carefree and joyous, light and uplifting. This feels intense and deeply euphoric, heavy and solid. This feels like it could be dragged around and still last a lifetime. It's all together different than anything else he has ever felt.

He kisses her forehead, letting his lips linger against her. She tilts her face up toward him, intending on a gentle kiss to say that everything is okay but once she tastes him the hunger blooms within her. She slides her hand up his chest and around his neck, pulling him against her and sinking into the passion that has risen between them. She is squirming on his lap, her legs now stretched out across the street. His hand is stroking up and down her side and she passes a moan into his mouth as her hips tilt toward him. If she was into confessing, she would say that she has wanted him, all day. Every moment of it. When they were in the car and flashes of their previous time in the car assaulted her thinking. When he sat on the edge of a recliner in the victim's father's house and all she could envision was how she could tip it back and crawl over him. When she ate lunch with him and knew she only had a hunger for the taste of him.

She has carried the weight of her desire for him all day and now that he is, at last touching her, the moan from within her speaks to relief on so many levels. His fingers move to her breast and she gasps as they close around her nipple with short hard tugs. He moves his hand down her torso and between her legs and she immediately begins rocking hard against him. Even through her slacks he can feel the heat of her.

His head comes up, "Technically our day is over and the case is over. We can't call anyone back with our phones not working and if it's important they all know our home numbers. Besides I believe that at this point you definitely owe me this weekend." He is grinning at her, his hand still moving against her.

She reaches out and stills his hand, a wicked look coming to her eyes. "You pick, your place or mine because I have a different position tied to each one." She hears the groan low in his throat.

"What are the positions?" He turns his expectant gaze to her.

She strokes him, the pressure of her touch running the length of him and causing him to harden even further under her fingers.

"Oh no, you don't get to know ahead of time, so choose." Her touch becomes more insistent and his focus is fading. He is pushing himself against her wanting to be inside her and knowing if he isn't that very soon he's going to cum from the thought of it. She leans into his ear and in a deeply sexual voice she whispers, "choose, Seeley." He thrusts into her hand and moans. She stops touching him completely and his eyes fly open, registering his confusion.

"Okay, my place, let's go to my place tonight." She kisses him, tasting him again before moving to her side of the vehicle and strapping her self into her seat.

She smiles sweetly, "Good choice. You were right about one thing."

His expression is still filled with confusion, "what could that be?"

"I do like this form of negotiating, I'm glad you came up with it. It doesn't feel unethical at all." She's now laughing softly and he knows he's in trouble, big trouble.

"So, why aren't we going to finish what we started here?"

"Because I thought you would be highly motivated to get us there in your current state." She reaches over and runs a finger down his erection, "besides, you're going to need all that later."

His penis throbs against him and without a word he adjusts his seat and heads back onto the road home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Bathing Beauty Chapter 11**

**Warning: Sexually explicit material, rated M.**

A/N: Yet another chapter with just the two of them, hmmmm…eventually they will have to run into Cam and the rest of the squints, just…not yet. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading. As always comments are welcome.

Several blocks from Booth's apartment he becomes aware there's a problem. The traffic lights are off and the entire neighborhood is dark with a power outage. The streets are crowded with the delays at intersections that are now four way stops. The traffic, the dark buildings and the storming skies are causing Booth conflicting signals as to the precise time of day. He glances at his watch and is surprised that it's 7:30 at night, the traffic looks like six and the sky looks like ten. He moves slowly along, turning the heat up a notch against the chill. Temperance has her seat tipped back and has her eyes closed but he knows she's not fully asleep. She's hovering in that twilight place where reality sounds like the activities of neighbors heard through the window on a Summer day. He wants to touch her, to lure her body back to the present, to an awareness of him. He watches the shadows from the rain on the window play across her skin in the fading light and has a sudden desire to be moving his mouth over her, capturing the illusion. He pictures her lying nude on a dark bed beneath a window in the rain with this moving shadow of dripping water cast all over her. He could hold his hand above her breast, causing the rain to appear on his skin and the shadow of his hand to appear on her. He would like to make love to her in this place he sees in his head, he finds the images highly erotic and he's not even sure why. For a man that is not deeply creative all he knows is that this is an unusual fantasy for him but he's strongly drawn to it and it has made him achingly hard as tangible proof. He touches himself briefly as he moves down the block to the back of the next line, a good half a mile from the next intersection.

He stretches his arm across the back of the seat and strokes her cheek with his fingertips. A corner of her mouth lifts with the hint of a smile. His fingers trail down her neck, dragging lightly over her skin with a lazy desire infused in his touch. He wants to be home where he can touch her with his whole body.

The heat from his fingers lingers on her chest and she opened her eyes to look at him. He's watching the road, inching along with the traffic, his expression that of someone whose mind is clearly somewhere else and to know where, all you have to do is follow his arm to her breast. She watches the desire move across his strong profile and his smile appears as she arches her back, effectively rubbing her breast into his palm. They're no longer admiring each other; they're equally engaged and aware. Her hand covers his and squeezes it around the full flesh of her breast as she turns her body toward him on the seat.

"How far are we from your place?" Her voice is sleepy, sexy sleepy and she could sit up and see exactly where they are but at the moment she is far too content to move.

"We're a long block away from the parking lot but we're stop and go in traffic because the traffic lights are down with a power outage so I'd say ten minutes."

"Is the sidewalk clear?" She's only half kidding and he actually glances over to check the possibility of trying it. There isn't anyone walking and the truck would fit inside the line of parking meters, not only that but the next tree isn't until after his driveway so the path is unobstructed. The comment suddenly becomes a suggestion and he slides his hand from beneath hers to ease the car over toward the curb. He maneuvers the truck carefully up the curb and down the sidewalk and she sits up, watching in disbelief. The faces in the vehicles he's passing are a mixture of anger, surprise and envy but it's her expression of shock and…well delight, that captivates him. At that moment she could be a five year old that has just been handed an ice cream sundae, or since this is Temperance, a five year old that has just been handed a microscope. His grin is ear to ear as he turns into the drive and heads to his parking space.

"That was a brilliant idea." He's laughing, so pleased with himself and so genuinely happy to be home he can't contain it. She is laughing now too, and popping her seat back up so they can gather their things and get inside. As soon as he cuts the engine she can feel the cold wind lapping at her legs from the seams around the door. She's glad that at least the rain has stopped momentarily.

"Seeley, there isn't going to be heat in your apartment, it's going to be freezing in just a few hours. We should just go to my place." She's tightening her coat around her as she speaks and gathers her bags but pauses to look expectantly at him.

"I know but I need to get some things for the weekend and it'll be warm for a while, besides, I'd like to give the traffic some time to clear. If the power hasn't come back on by then we'll head over to your place. I have extra flashlights in the back that we'll have to grab when we jump out, okay?" From the look of the area that didn't have power on the drive in Seeley was fairly sure his wouldn't be coming back on any time soon.

"I have an emergency radio in my field kit, I'll get that too so we can track what's happening." With that said she is all business, out of the car and inside the tailgate rummaging around before he can form a word of response.

She winces against the wind, surprised at how easily it cuts through her clothing and causes her to shiver deep within herself. She has her flashlight and the radio and is ready to go but Booth is just getting to his gear. She looks up and is captured by the beauty of the night sky, the wind has left it cloudless and without the glare of city lights its velvety depths is dense with stars.

"The view is remarkable tonight." She utters it as a statement to herself more than a comment to him so she jumps a little when she feels his lips against her neck. He kisses her softly, moving up to her ear, the warmth of his breath sending chills across her skin.

"The view is stunning." He pulls back and looks at her and she knows his comment has nothing to do with the crystal clear sky sparkling above them and everything to do with her. Despite the cold she feels the heat flush her cheeks and despite herself she smiles. Shaking her head she turns toward his building and they head inside to the warmth.

They arrive at the apartment with ease and Booth is grateful for the emergency lights in the halls and stairways that kick in whenever there's a power outage. His apartment is still warm and what little natural light there is coming from the windows is enough to be able to move around without bumping into furniture.

He's a step ahead of her on his way to get candles when he feels her hand grab his wrist and pull him back toward her. She presses her body full against him and closes her mouth over his in a kiss. Her lips are gentle and passionate, her tongue sliding against his in a slow stroke. She's thinking that she really just wants a nice long taste of him, like a tall glass of cool water when you're really thirsty, but that doesn't work. She isn't at all sated, in fact, her thirst is growing. She moans softly just as she pulls away from him, tucking her face in the curve of his neck she presses her cold nose into him.

"I'm freezing." His hands are moving up and down her arms in an effort to warm her.

"Come on, let me make you some tea and get you warmed up while we're here." She's about to remind him that there isn't any power but he's moving away from her and gestures for her to sit down as he hurries down the hall into the darkness. She pulls out a chair and sits at the dining table, wondering what he's doing. When he returns a few moments later his arms are full of things that she can't quite make out in the dim light. He sets his pile on the counter and turns to her, pulling a blanket from over his shoulder.

"Take off your coat." His voice is soft and seems to her to float in the semi darkness. She shrugs the coat off her shoulders and tosses it to the chair behind her and as she turns back he's standing in front of her wrapping the blanket around her. He kisses her gently on top of the head before turning back to the counter. She watches him quickly pop open a can of solid fuel and light it, setting a wire frame carefully over it and then repeating the process. He fills two pans with water, one large and one smaller and sets them over the flames while Temperance watches in amazement. He sets several candles around the kitchen, lighting them as he goes and then turns off his flashlight and gets out mugs to make them some tea. The room dances with the pulse of flames from every reflective surface, the movement giving the feel that it's now alive with light.

He pulls the milk quickly from the fridge and shuts the door. "If the power is still out when we're ready to go to your place I'll pack a cooler of stuff from my fridge so it doesn't go bad. The items in the freezer should be good for a couple of days but hopefully it'll be back on before then." The water in the small pot is boiling so he turns and makes their tea but he is also fussing with something else she can't see from the larger pan of water. He delivers her steaming mug into her waiting hands and patiently waits for her to take a few burning sips before setting it down.

"Open your shirt." He's smiling and holding something behind his back so she hesitates and he looks at her with his brows arched in question, waiting. She lets go of the blanket and slowly unbuttons her shirt, watching his face as her breasts come into view. He kneels in front of her and lightly kisses the smooth swell of flesh that rises from the dark edge of her bra. Then he presses something wrapped in beige flannel against her and wraps her shirt around it, closing two of the buttons to hold it against her torso. As she shifts in her seat she feels it move and the warmth radiating from it is suddenly everywhere against her. He then tucks the blanket around her and kisses her forehead.

A look of genuine surprise lingers on her face. "A hot water bottle? Where did you get a hot water bottle?" She can feel the water in it moving against her stomach as she speaks and she smiles softly. The heat from it is spreading under the blanket and it feels so good to finally be warm that she leans forward and kisses him. "Thank you, it's working already."

"I've had it for years, my grandmother always used it when I was sick or cold and I use it mostly for Parker but on really cold nights I do throw it under the blankets of my bed a few minutes before I get in to warm things up, then I move it down by my feet to keep them toasty. I find I sleep better if I go to sleep warm."

She's staring at him as if he has two heads.

"What?"

"It's so old fashioned, I just never pictured you as the hot water bottle type of guy." She's smiling a little.

"What's that supposed to mean? What type of guy do you think uses a hot water bottle?"

"One who's 32, has a job title that includes the word assistant and still lives with his mom." She's laughing now, harder as his expression changes.

"You have been spending entirely too much time with Angela. There's nothing wrong with a hot water bottle." He's sounding childish but defensive and yet he's still amused by her so he can't really muster up any anger.

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. It certainly works well and personally I think it's rather endearing that you use one. I can see why it brings you a sense of comfort." His look is still a bit pouty but he's drinking his tea and watching her.

"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" His question is prompted by his own stomach growling.

"You aren't even inconvenienced by the power being out are you?" She's impressed with how simply and efficiently he goes about what he needs to do.

"I'm an avid camper and I was a boy scout, so I'm prepared for every situation." He flashes her that smile again and it does more for her warmth than the blanket. "Are you warming up? Because if you're still cold we're supposed to strip down to our underwear and get in the same sleeping bag to share body heat so you don't get hypothermia." He's chuckling as he approaches her.

"Really? And as a scout you'd be willing to make that sacrifice just to save me from freezing?" Her voice has dropped and he's now standing right in front of her.

"Absolutely."

She drops the blanket off her shoulders and sets the hot water bottle on the table. The front of her is damp from the moist heat, her skin now red with warmth. His penis tightens as he looks at her, marveling at her beauty, how incidentally it presents to him and how unaware she is of her own affect. "That's an impressive sense of duty you have there." Her eyes drop to his erection as she speaks and he laughs softly.

He is reaching for her as she's standing to come to him so all at once she's in his arms. He kisses her deeply, nudging her lips with his tongue as it passes in to taste more of her. He nips her bottom lip, allowing her to get just a breath of air before sinking back into her. His hand is inside her open shirt, smoothing the skin of her back as his fingertips trace the line of her spine. He feels the desire burning through him, knows it has been simmering just below the surface all day. He unbuttons and unzips her pants because he needs to feel the heat of her. His hand slides in, past her underwear and over her damp curls to where the steaming slick flesh folds around his fingers, drawing him in deeper. She gasps against his mouth and pushes her hips toward him. He drops his shoulder and curls his wrist, pushing two, then three fingers as far into her as her body allows. He strokes every ridge of her walls as they give against his entrance and contract around his movements. A loud moan rolls from her chest as his fingers work a steady rhythm inside her. It's happening so fast, her body is hungry for his touch and responding to him with alarming intensity. She can hardly think, her knees are giving out and she clutches onto his shoulders, his shirt bunched in her fists. He tips her back, tightening the arm around her waist and lifting her slightly so her hips come up over the edge of the table. He pauses to push her pants and underwear down her hips just enough to give him room and he slides his thumb up so every stroke of his fingers he hits her clit with it. She breaks the kiss, heaving for air and his hand goes into high speed, a blur of movement pumping into her. He drops his head and bites her nipple through the thin silk of her bra and that finishes her. She cries out a long low sound as the orgasm rips through her, her legs pushing off the floor, her back arching up, her fists pressing against him.

His hand is soaked with her and he eases it out to push her pants the rest of the way off of her. She kicks her legs, pushing off her shoes and assisting him in freeing her from the garment. He quickly undoes his own pants and pushes them down and off his feet with his shoes and socks. She opens her eyes, still clutching his shirt, the arm around her waist moves up her back and tilts her up a little so she can see clearly as he steps between her legs and sinks into her still pulsing body. She whimpers as her knees snap against him and her hips push with surprising force against him. He groans at the feeling of her clenched tightly around him, her muscles hot and throbbing down to the base of him. He slides his other arm around her and suddenly scoops her up, tipping her weight onto him so there is not a breath of space between them. She rocks her body up against him and locks her ankles behind him sighing in satisfaction at having him here, so deep within her, once again.

She uncurls her fingers from his shirt and shifts in his arms, he's holding her up, one hand spread on her lower back and the other between her shoulder blades. She can feel the expanse of his open hands, his palms hot and his fingers pressing into her flesh and she knows he has her. She watches his dark eyes watching her as she slips her shirt off her shoulders, unclasps her bra and discards it on the floor. Sliding her arms around his neck she pushes his shirt out of the way and rests her cheek against his shoulder. She can feel his heart hammering against her and almost taste the desire as she breathes in the scent of them. She wants this one moment, with him as much a part of her as possible, to last forever. She's coherent enough to know the thought scares her and strangely comforts her at the same time. She contracts her muscles hard around him and hears him gasp, so she does it again and kisses his neck gently.

He's going to lay her back on the table but the table's hard so he turns toward the bedroom opting for the softer bed, leaving the flickering lights of the kitchen behind them. She is tipping her hips and clenching her muscles and he can't make his lungs expand with air. Her hand is stroking the back of his head and she's working her mouth over a spot on his neck that he feels all the way down to his balls. He sits on the edge of the bed in the dark and she unhooks her legs. He immediately rolls them and pulls slowly out of her, waiting for her eyes to find his before sinking back in to her. She tightens her hand into a fist in his hair as he strokes into her again. He drops his gaze, moves his mouth down the front of her to her breast. He closes his hot mouth over her tight nipple and her small cooing sounds become moans. He picks up his pace, pumping hard against her now and she tips up her hips arching into him in response. He moves to her other nipple pulling it between his lips and moaning as her nails find the flesh of his back. The pleasure is rushing through her and her body is desperately seeking release as she rocks herself against him. Her heels find substance on the mattress and she pushes up, his pelvis is now striking her clit and all finesse is gone. The sound coming from him is guttural as he slams into her, the force of her breaking orgasm pushes both of them away from the mattress as she arches. She is crying out as the waves crash through her and he continues to pump into her, the warmth of him filling her belly. Her body keeps going, clenching and spasming around him, and she holds on, letting the feelings carry her.

He knows they've been lying there for a long time and he thinks he must be getting heavy on her but she hasn't moved. His senses have finally returned to normal, his eyes can focus again and the rushing has receded from his ears so he can hear. He turns slightly and begins to lift himself away from her but she pulls him back against her.

"Don't move." She wants to tell him that she likes the weight of him on her, that it's more than being kept warm, something about having him above her makes her feel secure after a multiple orgasm that feels like it tore her apart. She wanted this, all day this was what she was thinking about, this was her goal. She had a different plan for how it was going to happen but that didn't really matter, she could save those plans for another day. Her feet are getting cold, the air in the apartment is starting to cool but she doesn't want him to leave her. She moves her hands down his back and his skin is cold, she strokes over his ass and holds onto his cheeks. She wonders briefly how long he would lie here getting colder and colder before he would say something to her. "Seeley, you're freezing, let's get up and get dressed so we can go to my apartment and I'll warm you up there. I'll even let you bring your hot water bottle."

She can feel him laughing against her. "What exactly is your technique for warming me up?" He's easing himself off of her and the chill in the room settles completely around him.

"Vigorous repetitive sexual activity." She stretches her legs and sits up on the edge of the bed, springing up and walking naked toward the kitchen to gather her clothes just as he reaches for her. She hears him gasp in the dark behind her and smiles as she begins to dress. In the dim light of the two candles still burning he can see the goose bumps on her skin so he rubs her arms as he comes up behind her.

He kisses her bare shoulder and she turns and places a light kiss on his lips before continuing with her clothes. He takes the hint that she means business. "I'm going to go put some jeans on and grab some clothes from my bedroom. There's a cooler in the front closet if you want to throw some of the food from the fridge in it after you're dressed so we can get out of here." He feels like she has pulled away from him but hopes it's just her haste to get going.

"Okay, I can handle that." She flashes him a smile but still it feels off to him and he can't imagine why because just twenty minutes ago he felt more connected to her than he has anyone in his entire life. Temperance turns on the radio and gets the cooler. She listens to the news long enough to know the power will be down until sometime Saturday afternoon. She turns it off and begins packing perishables into the cooler, it doesn't take long, Seeley doesn't have that much that would spoil. She drinks her tea even though it's now cold and waits for him.

She wants to tell herself all this only started a few days ago but she knows the emotional part of it started right after she met him. It helps her rationalize how she feels, helps her explain the weight and magnitude of it. She is embarrassed to admit, even to herself, that she wants him again, but she does. The feeling of him being inside her is so incredible, so intense that she almost has to keep returning to it to be convinced that the feeling's real. It scares her, those few moments when she has no control, when she doesn't know the sound of her own voice crying out. It scares her and yet it feels freeing like the dreams she has where she can fly, terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. She has an urge to discuss all this with him but has no idea how.

"Bones, are you ready?" He has appeared before her, looking as sexy as ever, with that damn grin on his face and the gentlest look in his eyes. She looks at him, unable to stop the smile that breaks on her face in answer to him.

"Yes, cooler's all packed and we're ready to go." He steps up to her and tilts her chin until she is looking him in the eyes.

"Temperance, what's wrong?" Her eyes are wide with surprise but he can see the apprehension in her.

"Nothing for you to worry about, I'm just working some things out, thinking them through." She tries to look confident and reassuring.

"Oh no you don't, I know you and given the time you'll logic yourself right out of this whole relationship with me before it's even had a chance to begin. So let's get to your place, get something to eat and talk through whatever it is that has you trying to think it through. Okay?" His brow is raised in question so she nods in response, wondering how it is he can read her so well. He puts his duffle bag over his shoulder and lifts the cooler while she blows out the candles and together they make their way in the dark.


	12. Chapter 12

Bathing Beauty chapter 12

**Warning: Rated M, sexually explicit material.**

A/R: Still managing to keep it about sex, a dozen chapters, I'm thinking it may be some kind of record! I still have at least a few more chapters in mind so as long as you all are still interested…well, I can keep going. (like the energizer bunny, going and going and going…or should it be coming and coming and coming?) As always thanks for reading, comments are welcome and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Temperance is nervous on the ride to her home because she knows Seeley is not going to forget that they are to talk about what's bothering her and she doesn't know how. What is she supposed to say to him when she doesn't understand it herself? It's not logical or scientific to try to explain a theory before it's been worked out to a conclusion. It's only random chunks of semi related information at that point. She sighs heavily and although he notices, he leaves her to her struggle, knowing full well it's part of her process, to ruminate and stew on a topic.

She decides to try to sort it out in her head, organize her thoughts and find out where she really stands. Okay, first of all she doesn't want to work. For the first time since she stepped foot into her profession, she would forsake it in a heartbeat to be in bed with him. Or in a car. Or in a bathroom. Or anywhere really. Which brings her rapidly to the second problem. She wants him all the time. She wonders just how long and how many times and in how many places they would have to do it to satisfy this relentless burning desire she has to have him in her, on her, kissing her, touching her…and yes, simply fucking her. She has seen women throw away their careers, their potential, the very possibility of who they might have been in the world just to chase a man. Is this the woman she has become? She already has a career, although she could lose it if she doesn't figure out how to concentrate on it when he's around. The F.B.I. wouldn't be likely to keep them together if they suddenly couldn't close a case. What the hell is wrong with her? She's been infatuated with other men, indulged in her share of fantasies over someone she had just started seeing, but this was a different beast all together. Previously she could shut down thoughts of a naked man to get her job done; she could flip a mental switch and think about nothing but her bones. Not any more. Even as she thinks it the truth slides from her peripheral vision and sits staring at her. This time she has no control. She shudders in her seat. No control. Shit. Fuck.

"Are you cold?"

Temperance jumps when he speaks and he chuckles as he turns the heat up a notch.

"I didn't mean to scare you but you looked like you had a chill. Where do you want to get dinner? There's that little Polish restaurant by Sid's or the Italian place by your house. Do you have a taste for anything?" She recovers quickly and is back with him, grateful to abandon her own thoughts for his.

"That's a tough call, but since its Friday night I'll go with Italian because Cecilia will have made her raviolis fresh today. Do you want to do take-out or are we going to eat there?"

"Let's get take-out so we can get to your place and finally relax for the rest of the night, this has been a really long day. I'd like some time to just…" He realizes what he was going to say and freezes.

"Just what Seeley?" She looks over at him and notices his shocked expression.

"Nothing, it'll be nice to just relax." His cheeks are pink and she wonders what revelation almost slipped from his lips. She wants to know and at the same time she's suddenly afraid to know. She turns her attention outside the car as they pull into the parking lot. They order and sit waiting for the food and she's restless, driven by this awkward energy that's now bouncing between them she paces the small foyer. He's sitting on a bench with his head down pretending to think while he watches her move back and forth in front of him. Coming or going, he finds the view equally pleasing. During his distraction he wonders about why he just lied to Bones, that's not how they work. He should trust her with how he feels; even now when he's afraid she's pulling away. He should trust her. The walk back to the truck is quick and quiet through the crisp air and they are only moments from her place. As soon as they carry everything inside and set it down he takes her arm and turns her to him.

He places a kiss on her forehead and she smiles weakly at him. A feeling of panic slides across her belly and she stiffens her spine. "It's okay, let's get the food and go into the living room. What do you have to drink?" She blinks slowly, taking in the information. She feels like they're moving in slow motion so the trip to the fridge takes forever. She pauses and then goes to the wine rack and chooses a bottle of red that she carries as she gets a corkscrew and two glasses.

"Do you want wine with your dinner?" He thinks for only a second before nodding to her.

"Yes, wine sounds great." He doesn't usually say yes to wine but tonight the dry taste sounds appealing to him. He sets up their places as she opens and pours the wine before settling herself. After a few bites in silence she sets down her fork and picks up her wine glass, curling both hands around it. She is very still within herself and he watches her with a nervous curiosity.

"Seeley, I don't know how to do this with you. It happened so suddenly, it's not like we planned it or dated and came to it gradually. I told you the other day that I want you all the time and it's only getting worse. It's so intense, _every time, _the emotions are so big it feels like I'm going to drown in them. I'm so distracted by all of this I can't maintain my focus when I'm working so I keep double checking things because I feel like I didn't give them my full attention. I knew the day would come when we would have sex, I could feel the attraction between us growing but this isn't how I thought it would feel." She pauses and takes a deep breath, a little mortified that she just mentally threw up all over him.

He hasn't taken his eyes off of her and it's obvious to her he's listening very carefully.

"How does it feel? The part that isn't what you expected?" He asks with his calm voice, the one he uses to question family members in a murder case. She didn't expect a question, she thought he would just start saying things to sooth her.

"It feels relentless, manic, like I've lost control, like I've jumped from a plane and my primary parachute has failed and my hand is searching for the second rip cord which, if I don't manage to pull in the next ten seconds will just kill me anyway. On the other hand, the fall has been so beautiful that in those few moments that I haven't been consumed with panic I've experienced an exhilaration and a level of pleasure that I didn't know was possible." She hears his breath whisper from between his lips.

"Wow. That sounds a little scary but not necessarily bad. I guess it depends on whether or not you like to skydive." This draws a small smile from her. "I'm not trying to dismiss how you feel, I've been overwhelmed myself this week but I figured we would just take it day by day and together we would figure it out, that's what we do." He believes his own words and desperately wants her to believe in them also. He wants to take her hand, to hold her but he doesn't think he should emphasize their physical comfort just yet. "Tell me what you're afraid of, all of it."

When she just stares at him he nods in encouragement, "come on Temperance, what do you have to lose? We're already in the middle of this thing." He may as well have slapped her. In a flash she sees herself as one of those women from a crime scene, eyes wild and desperate, their world shattered in a moment that took a husband or child from them. They had the look, the look of someone with nothing left to lose, the look of someone completely submerged in the pain of their loss. What does she have to lose? Him. Everything.

"I'm afraid this has taken the edge off my ability to do my job well, to be one of the best at what I do. I'm afraid I'm going to become one of those women that end up lost in the identity of the man she's with and so she never has one of her own. I'm afraid now that we've crossed this line that something bad will happen to you, you'll walk out, or die or just disappear. I'm afraid this feeling is never going to stop and…" She stares at him, her eyes shining with the thought of tears, "and at the same time I'm even more afraid that it will." A small sob catches in her chest capturing the relief that swells with her admissions.

"Okay, let's do this squint style and take it one item at a time up against the evidence. First of all, we've only had one case since this began between us and we managed to close it in three days. Granted, the killer was a dead guy but we still figured it out. I know it's hard to concentrate right now, I certainly haven't been able to keep my mind on anything but you, you and well, all that." He sweeps his hand over her body in an all encompassing gesture. "I think that the concentration part will improve, this is new to both of us and there is always a certain level of distraction in anything new." He has pulled a small smile from her and she relaxes enough to resume eating her dinner as he speaks.

"As for you losing yourself in my identity, well I can guarantee you that there is no one on this planet with an identity large enough to hide yours. You're the most brilliant, out spoken, opinionated woman I have ever met so I can assure you that you may lose your heart to someone but not your identity. It would be like trying to hide the sun." After the words have left his mouth he knows he's turning red, and he knows she's staring at him with red cheeks also. He was trying to answer honestly and not really think about what he was saying so much as how he felt. Now he's embarrassed at walking them into such a vulnerable place.

She stops eating again and is staring at him with a mix of shock and curiosity. He rushes to continue, taking her away from the idea that she has actually become his sun because it's too much information. Too much for her to have heard and too much for him to have revealed. "Next you're afraid of something happening to me but we both know how illogical that is because us being together has no bearing on something happening to me. This one is one of those psychological things that you despise. You believe that your own history dictates that when you care about someone they leave, disappear or die on you so you're projecting that fear onto me. I'm not going anywhere, not as long as there's a breath in me to fight it." She places her dish back on the coffee table and finishes the wine in her glass. She has that feeling again, the one that alerts her that something important is happening although she can't define what. She hopes it means she's learning to have intuition like Booth has even if it takes her years to sharpen it.

His eyes have darkened to that liquidy color that makes her think of stirring melted chocolate on the stove just before you add the milk. She can almost feel the heat coming off him. "Now as for that last fear, well that's one we share." Her eyes grow wide at his admission. "You're afraid this feeling is never going to stop and even more afraid that it will." He pauses for a long moment, sitting still, so still he appears not to be real like those street men in the spring that act like statues on the street. She knows this is the sniper in Booth and that as he becomes motionless he is internally gathering himself, forming a plan, molding his courage. She has seen him like this before, focused and reaching within himself so she waits without comment. "I think, if we're lucky and we work at it that we can ride this feeling into forever. It seems powerful enough to me to last that long. I'm sure that the intensity will fluctuate along the way but that's to be expected and I'm sure we'll fight and make up like everyone else. Hell, we do that now. So I don't think we should worry about that feeling, it'll level off all on it's own."

"Is that before or after we kill each other having sex?" She's smiling and his grin finally shows itself.

"Temperance if I do have to die, the one way I would go willingly would be if my cause of death was having too much sex with you." He grips the edges of the couch cushion to keep from touching her. Her soft laughter and the sparkle in her eyes cause him to sink his fingers in the leather as though he is going to fall if he doesn't hold on.

"So, other than the sex, which will be keeping us busy for quite a while yet, do we date? Do we see each other every day? How do we go about the every day part of this? I'm not good with relationships to begin with so this really confuses me." He's trying his best to stay seriously focused on the relationship conversation but his erection is now growing a little bigger every time she speaks.

"Hey, I've never started a relationship with a woman that was my friend before so this is new. I don't have to learn how you like to order your food or drink your coffee, what kind of flowers you like or what music you listen to, I already know. I've never spent time around someone for two years before becoming involved but I'm sure it's added to how intense this all feels. I guess we can do this any way we want to, we get to decide as we go. What would you like to do this weekend?"

"You mean if there's time left after eating, sleeping and sex?" She pauses long enough to watch the desire soften his eyes. "Well, I do need to get some writing done but I think we have my workout covered so I won't have to go to the gym. I guess I'm open to ideas, I'd be happy to rent some movies, go to the Body Human exhibit at the museum or go practice at the firing range. What did you have in mind?"

"Let's see, sex, movies, anatomy and guns…you're my dream date come true. We can always decide later but for the record, any of those events is fine with me." He is hard now, and every time she mentions sex, his penis twitches. He subconsciously rubs the dull ache that still resides in his thigh as he watches her. She pours the remainder of the wine into their glasses and sets the bottle down.

"We need to finish eating, it's another thing we've been abandoning because we're _distracted. _Not only that but with all this activity it's good to keep your strength up." He wonders when everything she says became so damn sexy.He leans over and gently kisses her, brushes his lips against hers.

"There's always the microwave you know?" His breath is warm against her cheek as he chuckles against her. "Hey didn't you make some promise about sexual positions?"

"I did but the power outage at your apartment changed our plans so I'll have to save that for another day." She has a mischievous smile tugging at her lips and he's tempted to kiss it away.

"Why can't we do it here at your place?" She certainly has his attention, both he and his penis are turned in her direction.

"I don't have a recliner." She says it so simply and so nonchalantly as though she just said she didn't have an umbrella in all this rain. Her comment causes a flood of images to rush through his brain, each one more erotic that the last. He watches her shiver slightly as she lifts her glass and finishes her wine.

"Are you still cold?" The rain has started back up and the wind is still blowing hard enough to cause each drop to pelt with force against the windows.

"Yes, I just can't seem to shake that deep chill." Despite the feeling of warmth swimming in her chest from the wine, her limbs are still cold to the touch.

"Stay here, I might have a solution for you, but you have to stay here." She looks at him for a moment, wondering what he might be up to but unable to get a read from his smile. The water bottle comes to mind and a wide sexy smile slowly appears.

"Can I clean this up?" She waves her hand over their dinner in a sweeping motion.

"Yes, but don't leave the kitchen." He squints at her for a second, measuring her commitment to stay in this area.

He disappears down the hall and she hears music suddenly coming from her bedroom which makes her smile because she's pretty sure she knows what he has in mind. She busies herself with cleaning up, putting the rest of the food away and washing the plates and glasses. She holds the cork from the bottle of wine in her hand for a long moment before setting it on the back of the sink instead of the trash. He's gone for what feels like a long time to her and now she questions her original thoughts. She notices his bag is gone from the spot near the door where he set it when they came in and this makes her strangely nervous. She listens for a moment, stretching her hearing beneath the howling of the wind and the steady drumming of the rain mixing with the jazz he has on, but she can detect no other sound. She's lost in these thoughts when he suddenly appears before her, taking her hand and leading her down the hall. She goes willingly and a small voice in her head whispers, _too willingly_.

He has lit the candles in her bedroom and when he opens the bathroom door familiar scents waft in her direction. He leads her inside and she smiles as the steam wraps around her, the heat pressing into her skin. He has run her a bath, lit candles in here too. She isn't sure how to respond to the romanticism in the gesture but the irony of him beginning the weekend in the same manner that started this part of their relationship does not escape her.

She is laughing, a soft sexy sound that rises and is carried to him in the humidity. "A bath, Seeley? Certainly you understand my amusement."

"I do and I did think about that but it's the best way to really warm you, all the way down to your bones. Besides, this experience will be different for you than your last one." It's more the glint in his eyes than his words that bring the stirring between her legs. "Let's shut the door, I want to keep all the heat in here." He pushes the door the rest of the way until it clicks closed and then turns to her. She has started to undo her shirt in anticipation of sinking her body into the hot water but he reaches out and covers her hands with his own. "Please, allow me." He smiles his sensuous lazy smile with his formal request and she drops her hands to her sides. She wonders briefly if there is something out there that she would deny him and then pushes back the cold hand of panic when her thoughts come up empty.

He taps her arms and she obediently lifts them over her head as he peels the shirt away from her. A light sheen of sweat is already forming on them from the heat in the small room. His hands caress the curve of her shoulders, his fingers moving over her flesh as though searching for a certain spot. He palms her elbows, rubbing the hard points of them against the soft pad of his thumbs. His hands idly move back up to her shoulders where his index fingers trace the line of her collar bone over to the dip at her throat. Her breathing has become so shallow she has to think to pull the thick air into her lungs, the heat of it forcing her body to relax. He drags her bra straps off her shoulders and leans over, licking the small red mark left behind on first one, then the other shoulder. He steps around her and unhooks her bra, urges it down until it falls to the floor. When his fingers touch her neck, moving the damp hair from her skin, she tips her head forward to encourage him. His hands slide with reverence over each muscle of her sculpted back, resting on her hips as his lips and tongue lift the salty taste of her from the line of her spine. His penis is aching and he shifts his weight against the discomfort.

At first she wants to move but she recognizes that she is giving back to him those moments he gave to her on that first night. It's a gift of time, the luxury of taking your time to touch and taste and learn every nuance of another person. She closes her eyes and lets the heat seep into her, allowing herself to feel every brush of his fingers. Her body responds, leaning just slightly toward him, the moisture gathering between her legs, the small moans humming from her throat.

He traces her shoulder blades and ribs, running the expanse of his hands around her sides, pressing his fingers between her bones as though he's measuring her to see how she fits in his hands. He steps to the front of her and sighs as he looks at her, he kisses down her neck, pressing his tongue flat against the dip at the base of her throat to catch the vibration as she moans. Her hands rest lightly on his arms as his fingers dance over her breasts and then curve to come up and hold them, balancing the weight and warmth of them. He presses his thumb against her nipple and smiles as it puckers under his touch. Remembering his task at hand he reaches down and undoes her pants, crouching as he pushes them and her underwear together to the floor. He cups her calf as he removes her shoes and socks, setting her clothes and shoes on the hamper near him. He wants to take her, to slide his arms behind her and ease her down onto the green fuzzy rug beneath them. He wants to push her milky thighs apart and watch her lips open to offer him her pink fold, glistening wet as an invitation. He wants to thrust into her tight center hard enough to feel her clench around him, hard enough to make her toes curl into the fuzzy carpet in an effort to hold on. He runs his fingertips over her toes as though testing the keys of a piano, he's grinning and she wonders what he is thinking that has him so amused. He leans in and runs his tongue over her knee cap, then closes his lips over it and sucks a path up her thigh and she is sure she has never been so aroused by her own leg before. She's wet and she knows it isn't just the heat of the room, she can smell the arousal, the sweat of sex itself hangs so heavily in the air she takes it in with each breath. He presses a kiss against her damp curls and snakes his tongue between her folds for one taste. She jerks her hips and releases a small cry, her eyes wide as he releases her and stands.

He quickly strips off his own clothes, his rapid movements causing his stiff penis to bob heavily in front of him. She wants to climb on him, to wrap her arms around his neck and pull herself up until she can sink the length of him inside her but he gestures toward the tub and she steps back from the fantasy she's creating to the fantasy she's living. She's a little light headed, the heat, the wine, the wanting, it's all floating up and taking her with it. He takes her hand but steps into the tub before her, easing himself into the hot water and leaning back against the smooth porcelain. He presses his legs against the sides and invites her to sit between them. He made it look so easy that she's startled by how hot the water is when she steps into it. She lowers herself slowly and he places his hands on her waist as a guide. It takes all his control not to pull her to his face as her sculpted ass passes him on her descent. Once in the water she leans back against him, acknowledging the sense of comfort that comes with feeling him behind her. She scoots down a little, until the water is near her chin, until just the top of her breasts break the water. She can feel his penis, still somewhat erect, pressing into her back and his legs rise like bedrails on each side of her. He touches the ends of her hair floating in the water, rubbing the strands between his fingers.

"Is that chill finally gone?" He's smiling as he asks her because this room is like a sauna now and it would be virtually impossible not to be warm in here.

"Yes, thank you. Not only am I no longer chilled but parts of me are now on fire." The water ripples away from them as he chuckles behind her. The water is hot and movement within it makes her skin even warmer so she sits very still just enjoying this time. Various scents rise in the heat from the different candles he has burning. She would only light one or two scents at a time but he has four different candles going and actually she finds the blend intriguing, soothing in a tropical kind of way. He lifts his hand from the water and watches the drops run to the ends of his fingers and hang for a second before dropping on the smooth top of her breast where it peaks from the water. He is amusing himself, trying not to think about the parts of her that are on fire. She watches him dip his hand and drip the water several times, the winding notes of jazz tangling and untangling as they seep under the door.

She reaches for his hand, curls her fingers around his wrist and brings it to her mouth. She kisses his tattoo, runs her tongue across it with her eyes closed to see if she can feel it. She presses her mouth where she knows his pulse is and feels it quicken against her lips. The water is cooling but she dips his fingers into just as he had done, lifting his hand, she takes his index finger into her mouth and as she sucks it deeper against her tongue he groans. Within seconds she feels his penis stir behind her, pressing up between them.

"Temperance." His voice is a whisper against her ear and her arousal rages back to life. She releases his hand and turns her head, meeting him in a kiss. She raises her hand and cups the back of his head as she opens her lips to his probing tongue. One of his hands has moved to her breast and begins slowly tugging her nipple. His other hand is splayed across her abdomen, pressing her firmly against his erection as she squirms in his arms, rubbing herself against him. Her feet press against the end of the tub, pushing her ass into him and he groans into her. He moves his hand between her legs and sinks his fingers into her folds, without pretense he begins to rub her clit in strong rhythmic strokes and his hand becomes more aggressive on her nipple. She's panting hard and then his voice is in her ear, deep, rich with desire.

"Isn't this how it was Temperance? Look down at your body, isn't this how you were touching yourself?" She feels the flood of warmth pulse within her folds and she whimpers. His hand between her legs slows a little, "is this how you always do it or is there some variety in your style?" His fingers slide off her clit and sink inside her, pumping against the water. "Do you shift sometimes and push your fingers up into yourself like this?" She's arching up onto his hand and moaning out _oohhh_ across the water, her hands gripping the sides of the tub. He slides his fingers back out of her and places his hand further between her legs, easily lifting her in the water. Temperance knows immediately what he's doing so she lets go of the side of the tub and reaches down, guiding him to her entrance. She wiggles her hips slightly and sinks down over him, gasping at the sensation as he tips up, settling himself all the way inside her. May be it's the angle of this position, or her relaxed state in the water or how incredibly aroused she is by his narration but whatever the cause, his entrance feels like it has just ignited every sexual nerve in her body. She presses against him, her body tense, her breath hovering in her lungs as she just holds on for a moment. He waits for her to relax, not moving, caught within her stillness. She exhales slowly, rocking her hips over him to feel the sensation of him again and moans in satisfaction.

His hand goes back to her clit and his other goes back to her nipple and he resumes his earlier rhythm. His voice comes from her shoulder now, thick and rough against her, rasping around his own ragged breathing, rising up to her as she sits on him now. She tilts her head back onto his shoulder, arching her breasts up into his hand.

"Is this what you thought of then Temperance? How it would feel to have me inside you? How it would feel to have me thrust into that deepest part of you that your own fingers just can't reach?" He feels her lift up on him and he rocks up hard, plunging into her and easing back down to do it again. He steadily slides rides up into her, building quickly with her muscles tightly squeezing him and his hands working over her body. She's moving with him, crying out every time he slides past the swollen sensitive spot inside her. "When it was your hands, did you think about how it would feel for me to come inside you?" He arches into that last inch of space between them. "Show me how you felt Temperance." He feels her clit swell and harden under his fingers and he knows she's close so he braces his feet and shoves himself up, lifting her with the force and pushing her over the edge. She comes hard. Water is pouring over the sides as they arch and rock against the throbbing waves of pleasure. Both of them are crying out, slamming into the other, pushing into the rising tide. She's pressing against him as he empties into her in a burst of warmth, her walls seize around him, the sensation so intense he just keeps thrusting.

The water is cool by the time she opens her eyes and has returned to her surroundings. Seeley is under her, his breathing still quick so she sits up and eases herself off of him as she carefully stands. She pulls the plug in the tub and turns around to offers him her hand.

"Come on Seeley, let's go to bed." Her eyes are heavy lidded, her nipples swollen and her skin shining as the water runs off of her. He is captured by how sexy she looks just standing there. He takes her hand and lets her help him to his feet. She reaches up and pulls his head down, kissing him just long enough to pass her tongue through his mouth in a teasing taste. She steps from the tub and wraps herself in a towel, handing him one before blowing out the candles. A smoky aroma coils up from each wick as they walk into the bedroom. She blows the candles out in there and then climbs into bed with him. She is amused that neither one of them even bother with the pretense of some kind of pajamas. As he pulls her against him she hears him laughing in the dark.

"What's so funny?" For a second her voice sounds strange to her after all the communicating with her body and wordless sounds.

"If we keep this up, every time I see a bathtub I'm going to get a hard on." She bursts out laughing and the sound cause him to keep grinning. He kisses her shoulder, "goodnight."

"Hhmmm, goodnight Seeley." She's smiling and as she falls asleep she wonders if she has ever felt as good as she does at this moment. H


	13. Chapter 13

Bathing Beauty chapter 13

**Warning: Rated M for sexually explicit material.**

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.

A/N: First of all, thanks for reading, I always appreciate it and as usual comments are welcomed. Okay, there is some emotional satisfaction in this chapter but the question is quickly becoming: How much sex can they have? Hmmmm?! I can continue….

Temperance opens her eyes in the early morning light and stretches, smiling at the ache in her thighs and between her legs. Seeley is sleeping soundly beside her, his hand tangled in her hair, his limbs spread over the bed leaving her just a strip of mattress. She tries to picture a life with him, the daily ins and outs of it but she has only snapshots, a fluent scene escapes her. She can see them having a meal but not planning them. He's all at once so familiar to her and yet there are parts of him she doesn't know at all. Just a week ago she didn't know his body, the arch of his spine under her fingertips as he pushes deeper into her when he's coming. The way his eyes darken as though some door within him is opening to her, exposing the depth of his feelings. This thought surprises her because it's not only accurate in the way he looks at her but in how she feels when she's with him. It's like some door within her opens and it leaves her feeling exposed to his searching gaze. She shivers slightly and pulls the sheet and comforter up over them. He turns in his sleep, seeking her and she gasps at the ease with which he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her to him, his possessive instinct so blatant in his actions. She relaxes and his arm curls around her, his hand fingering across her ribs and his thumb grazing the bottom of her breast. Her nipples pucker slightly from his touch and she's in awe of how quickly her own body became something he commands so easily.

She thinks about relaxing and inhales deeply, letting her feelings for him expand inside her. It takes her breath away. She has tried not to think about loving him but despite her efforts it has permeated every moment since she realized it. She tries to recall what she knows of love but her memories are all tied to loss and betrayal. It no longer surprises her that people think love feels magical, to her it seems very much like a magic trick. For years they spend every day together and suddenly it feels different between them, something invisible, powerful and undeniable pulls every fiber of her being in his direction. He's with her all the time now, even when she was away from him, he's swimming beneath her surface and she can feel the ripples throughout her. Despite how intense the feelings are, there is a trembling sense that they could just evaporate. After all, they're potent and unseen, like a scent in the air, filling her lungs, being absorbed through her pores, it's only reasonable to think they could just disintegrate into thin air. She wonders how she can trust in something that seems so unstable, so fleeting.

The thought brings back a memory of her mother, it was so long ago she is surprised by it's surfacing. Temperance sees that moment when her mother tried to explain love to her. She must have been about seven and they were sitting in the yard, there was a light breeze blowing and her mother reached up and gently moved the hair from her cheek.

"_Close your eyes Temperance. Now, do you feel the breeze?" Her mother's voice is soothing and Temperance releases the frustration that is building in response to not having answers that make sense to her. _

"_Yes, I do, it's coming from the Southwest." Her brow has creased in a curious expression._

"_How strong is the wind?" Temperance pauses and her mother watches her, knowing her daughter's thoughts are racing through the possible answers._

"_If it's within a hurricane the wind can exceed 200 miles an hour but in our area windy days average 27 miles an hour in the course of a calendar year." Her expression is serious and Christine Brennan wonders where her daughter even came by this information._

"_Show me the wind Temperance." _

_Temperance opens her eyes and looks at her mother in surprise, "you can't see the wind, only the effects of it." Her mother smiles at her warmly._

"_Exactly and that's how love is too. You can't see it and it isn't really even a matter of faith because you know it exists, you can see the effects of it in people and you can feel it yourself. The strength of it can almost knock you off your feet. The only difference is that the wind comes and goes and love stays, whenever you pause and think about it you can feel it, like a steady breeze that blows over you all the time. It's a little more difficult to measure than the wind but just as easy to see that it's here. So you see Temperance, if you want to prove to yourself that you're loved, just close your eyes and feel it. Temperance closed her eyes again and her mother's arms came around her in a hug._

"_What do you do when the wind knocks you off your feet? When a hurricane comes?"_

_Her mothers arms tightened around her, "hold on baby, just hold on."_

She lay in bed thinking about that moment, tears slipping over her nose and cheek, quickly soaking into the soft cotton pillowcase. Her mother had so much patience, always trying to balance the world of logic with emotion. She wonders what her mother would think of her lying in bed next to a man that fills her with so much emotion she doesn't know what to do with it. Her mother's words bounce around inside her head, _hold on_. The problem is that they never discussed the fear; her mother hadn't warned her that it would be so terrifying she would tremble in his arms. Maybe that was a conversation for another day, a day they didn't get to have together. She liked to think that her mother had all the answers, that if they had the time together she would have given Temperance some words of wisdom that would have soothed her and helped her to understand how to feel something this powerful and not be broken by it. She's frightened and she wants to tell Seeley, but what will that means if he knows?

Her pillow is now damp and cold against her cheek as the tears run freely. As much as she struggles against it she knows it comes down to one simple question. Does she trust him? Her chest heaves with the sob that rises with sudden force. She stiffens for just a second but before she even draws the next shuddering breath she knows what her answer is because really there's only one option here.

She turns in his arms, propping herself on her elbow as she places her hand on his chest. She watches her hand shake and it occurs to her that she should try to calm herself before waking him but when she glances to his face she can see she's already too late. He blinks the focus into his eyes, immediately taking in her distress. He's never seen her like this so his concern is immediate and his mind falters over what could have possibly reduced her to a flood of tears.

"Temperance, what's the matter?" His voice is gentle, a voice she has heard him use in interviews with victims, in conversations with Parker. That voice, his arm tightening around her and the concern in his expression all strike her. She stills and he watches her carefully, tears still sliding down her face in the dim light of predawn.

The storm from the previous night has abated some, reduced to a hazy drizzle swirling in the wind. Temperance gets out of the bed so quickly he doesn't have time to react. He watches her naked figure stroll with purpose across the room and bites his tongue against the urge to ask her questions. He is torn between his concern and curiosity. She pulls back the curtains and opens the window, letting the wind carry a mist through the screen and against her face, neck and breasts. She raises her hand, rubbing her fingers together, testing the moisture. The wind lifts a few strands of hair from her shoulder and she stares intently at the grey sky, holding the morning light at bay. She tilts her head and he thinks for a moment that she's listening for something or that she was impossibly warm and needed to cool herself off, but neither of these ideas feels quite right to him.

"Temperance." His hesitation is evident in his voice and when she turns and looks at him he gasps. Her skin shines with the remnants of the rain and the moisture has gathered, running down the front of her in glistening lines that dip into her navel or disappear between her legs. He can no longer distinguish her tears on her damp face but he knows if he were to go over and run his tongue along the line of her jaw he would taste the salt of them there. Her eyes are shining and her face is an expression of awe as though she has just discovered some wondrous sight. The light highlights every curve of her face and body and despite the situation his penis twitches in response to the vision in front of him. She leaves the window open as she walks back toward him and he watches the rise and fall of the veil of water blowing into the room. He wants to tell her that the water is going to soak the carpet and the wall, causing damage, but it's apparent to him that she knows and doesn't care. As his confusion increases he shakes his head to assure himself that this is not some odd dream from which he just needs to wake.

She pulls back the covers and climbs on top of him, straddling his hips, her heart pounding so loudly she can feel it in her womb, in her ears and at her wrists. His finger traces a line up her center, between her breasts over her throat and up to her chin so she tips down her head, sucking the water from his fingertip. She can feel him harden beneath her and watches as the head of him pokes past her lips and against his belly. She leans down, her breasts resting on his chest as she braces a hand on either side of him. Her gaze is intense, the blue deepening and swirling as she looks into him, appearing to be searching just as she was when she looked out the window.

"Seeley, I love you." Her voice is a whisper and her words are sucked from between them by the circling wind from the window. For one second he thinks he has imagined it, and as though she has read his mind she bends down further, placing her lips against his ear so he can feel the warm breath of her even before she speaks. "I do, I love you."

"I love you too." He's surprised by the crack in his own voice because the reality is that part of him has loved her all along. His hands pull her tighter against him sliding along the smooth plains of her back. She exhales a long breath, expelling relief at just having uttered the words, having given them to him. She wants to explain everything but it seems like too much and the waves of desire washing over her are making it difficult to concentrate. She drops her head forward and places her open mouth against his neck, not just tasting him but suddenly thirsty for him.

Seeley moans as she moves over him, his chest tight in response to her words, his body hot in response to her touch. He has been watching her since he opened his eyes, taking in her strange mood, trying to understand her actions. He has questions that will have to wait until the light of day finds them. The air in the room is too warm, the heat he turned up against last nights chill now presses against the walls. He glances to the open window and decides to follow his instincts. He sits up, holding her against his chest and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. She moves with him easily, holding on tightly and wrapping her legs around him as he stands. He walks to the window, and she reaches one arm behind her, grasping the windowsill to steady herself, arching her upper body back into the cool spray. Goosebumps run lightly across her creamy skin, down the taut muscles of her stomach and her nipples darken as they tighten into her breasts from the cold. Her entire body is stretched out in front of him and he widens his stance and holds her tightly. Her eyes flutter and close and her tongue slips out to taste the water on her lips. He squints as the fine spray washes over his face, so captivated by this erotic display he has to remember to breathe. His penis tightens and she smiles, rocking her hips against him in response.

She pulls herself back up to him, a rolling arch from her shoulders to her hips, pressing her wet body into his chest, sliding her breasts and erect nipples over him. Her kiss is slow but hungry and he can feel the urgency uncoiling within her. He lifts her hips and she reaches down and nestles him into her opening before pressing herself down and over him. He groans into her neck, his breath hot against her cool skin, "aahhhh, my god you feel amazing, _every_ time, so amazing." He steps to the side so he can press her into the wall, the water making her legs slick where his hands hold her. She moans loudly as he thrusts into her, drawing in the taste of their coupling with the rain. The wind whips up suddenly and she smiles, clenching her muscles around him and sliding up his penis she's pretty sure this is not what her mother meant when she told her to hold on, but right now she feels so good, so incredibly good. She presses her back against the wall and meets each of his thrusts with her hips, licking the water from his chest and sinking her nails into his slippery flesh to hold on she moves from graceful to primal.

Seeley wants to respect whatever she's going through this morning, he wants to gently make love to her in the haze of falling rain but he feels her mood shift. She's grinding into him, tightening and pulling on his penis, stroking him hard with her entire body. When she begins to lick his neck he thinks he may lose his mind but he tips her up some and takes her breast into his mouth. She arches into him and he pulls her nipple with his teeth causing her to cry out and pump hard against his hips. He moves his mouth up to her neck, tasting the rain and the salt of her tears as he drives himself deeper into her. He feels her thighs tighten and knows she's close so he moves his head back to look at her. She loves him, this remarkable woman loves him and a swell of emotion rises in his chest on the crest of his desire with such force he begins to tremble. She locks her gaze on his and feels as though she's falling into him but instead of resisting, she just lets go. He strokes into her and they break, their orgasms slamming into them, sealing them together for those suspended few second as they arch together before crashing in rocking spasms of frenzied thrusting.

His pace has slowed considerably when he presses into her and steps away from the wall. She grabs him tightly around the neck and he pauses, a low laugh rumbling from his chest.

"How's that thigh holding up?" She's trying to suppress the laughter but is unable to hold it in any longer. It ruptures from her between gasps.

"A little tender, but I've got you." He sits on the side of the bed and she gently eases off of him, curling onto her side and squeezing her thighs to hold the muscles still fluttering in her depths. He lies back, still trying to steady his breathing, a wide smile on his face. He moves his hand over and laces his fingers through hers.

She's damp and the air in the room is now cool but she likes the caress of it on her heated skin. She closes her eyes and squeezes his hand, having finally released the emotions she had held so tightly for so long, exhaustion closes over her.

Seeley stands, closes the window and gently turns her on the bed before crawling in beside her. He's content knowing they can take time to talk later because now it feels like they have all the time in the world, time enough for everything. He strokes her hair, in awe of the events from which she found the courage to tell him that she loves him. He squeezes his eyes shut and swipes at the tear that rolls down his cheek. He didn't realize until this moment how badly he wanted to hear her say it. He doesn't want to cry so he bites his knuckle until the pain takes precedent and the tears stop. He slowly blows out a long breath, easing himself to sleep while thinking about how much his life has become like a dream.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hey, want to do a magic trick? If you type and press the button below at your house, I can read it all the way at my house! Cool, huh? Let me know what you're thinking…it just make me disgustingly happy.


	14. Chapter 14

Bathing Beauty Chapter 14

**Warning: Rated M for sexually explicit material.**

Disclaimer: They are not mine but how I enjoy playing with them!

A/N: My sincerest apologies to the readers, my delay in posting was unavoidable because sometimes life intervenes and there's nothing you can do about it. Hopefully I'm back and can get back into the rhythm. Thanks for your loyalty and as always for taking the time to read.

Temperance is awake but not moving, her mind however, is racing. She wonders how things will change now that Seeley knows she loves him. In science she knows the introduction of such a powerful factor will alter the outcome of any experiment. Logically this isn't an experiment but still there are strong correlations here that have her concerned. Even working with serial killers she has learned that once they know you're tracking them even if they have invited you, the knowledge itself changes their behavior. Knowledge is a powerful thing. She feels him beside her, his hand lies protectively against her abdomen, the heat of him pressing into her in the spaces between them. She can hear his voice in her head telling her not to analyze the situation but that's what she does best.

She knows she will have to talk to him about earlier. It's his nature to ask questions as much as it is hers to analyze. He's going to want to know what happened, how she ended up awake and crying in his arms, soaked by the rain and professing her love to him. This is one of those rare situations that she feels she understands but is unable to adequately explain. She wonders what time it is and considers trying to peak at the clock but in the end she remains still. He may be awake and she isn't ready to face him yet. Why does she feel like telling him made her more vulnerable and weaker somehow? His show of emotions doesn't make her think any less of him so why does she feel this way? She sighs heavily and feels his hand move against her, his fingers rubbing lightly over her skin. She fights the urge to move as his palm flattens and he draws closer to her back. He's awake and trying to gently urge her toward consciousness. She wants to ignore him and take one deep breath to push her thoughts back into the muddy part of her brain so she can drift back to sleep.

His hand strokes down her thigh and back up to her hip, into the dip of her waist, up her arm to her shoulder and neck. His fingertips drag across her flesh and the warmth of his touch is soothing to her but it isn't long before her arousal stirs. She relaxes, just letting his hand move over her. She feels his breath warm against her neck and his mouth kissing and nipping a path to her ear. She gasps as he sucks softly and her body involuntarily arches back into him. _Damn it, how does he do that?_

"Hey, open those incredible eyes of yours." His voice is low, rough, a grumbling vibration that moves through her. She sighs gently and turns in his arms, stretching her aching limbs and then settling her gaze on him. He's smiling and as much as her anxiety has run rampant in her head she can't help but return it. He leans down and kisses her and she feels herself melt further into his arms. "So, on a scale of one to ten, how much of a panic are you in this morning?"

Her smile widens because he's the reason everything will be alright. She gave him information that he could use to hurt her but he never will. This is Seeley, and she knows he'll never use the fact that she loves him against her, which is exactly why she trusted him enough to tell him. She begins to chuckle softly at the round robin effect of her logic.

"Care to share?" He's amused as he watches her because although he can't read her mind, he can read her expression and her thoughts have been churning since she woke up.

"I was just having a moment of anxiety but it's to be expected. I can count on one hand the number of people that have heard me say I love them in my entire life. It still amazes me how you know what people are thinking." It doesn't occur to her to lie to him but being honest on this intimate level brings a blush to her cheeks. He's looking at her in that protective way and she sighs softly. "Seeley, I'm fine. You can't protect me from my past and I don't want your pity. My childhood wasn't perfect but there were times that I was very happy and my parents loved me."

His eyes widen for just a second, betraying his surprise, "I don't pity you. I love you and when I hear you mention times in your life that were painful I naturally sympathize with you." He pauses, contemplating for just a moment, "and there have been moments that I wanted to go back and extract a little revenge on your behalf but I don't pity you. Every moment of your life, whether good or bad made you the woman I fell in love with and brought you to the moment we met so I wouldn't change a thing."

"You wouldn't change a thing about me? Not when I'm asking you for a gun for the hundredth time? Or when I'm trying to tell you how to do your job? Not when I'm asking about your religion? There isn't _anything _you would change?" She's smiling but he knows part of her is serious about the question.

His fingers trace the line of her jaw, "as many times as we have disagreed on a case and I thought you were driving me crazy, I still wouldn't change one thing." His lips graze against hers, hovering just out of reach so she has to tip her head and reach toward him to kiss him. She lingers, nipping his bottom lip before sliding her tongue into his mouth. He pulls her closer, his touch reigniting the fire in her skin. Her leg slides up his thigh, wrapping around him at the hip and pulling him into her.

Just that, the feel of her thigh pressing into him as her body draws him in is so sexy he feels himself growing hard. Her body wraps around him, silently asking and arching, yielding and opening. Her mouth devours him as her hunger grows, moving from his lips down his neck and back again. He is overwhelmed with desire and overcome with need. This isn't her normal type of aggression; this is seduction, a pleading in the flesh. She isn't taking him; she's urging him to take her. She's squeezing his ass with one hand and stroking him with the other and his body rocks trying to follow the two sensations. He wants to slip his fingers inside of her but she has guided the head of him to her lips and is pulling her knees up in invitation so he pushes into the soft wet depths of her. For that one moment she stills, her fingers stop fluttering, her lips stop kissing and her body gives itself to this singular sensation. He feels her breath hot along his neck. It quickens as he slides his hand up the back of her thigh and tips her leg up and out, pushing himself into that last inch of her.

She forgets how to breathe altogether when he fills her so completely and becomes so much a part of her. His stroke is slow and he moves in a steady rhythm against her swollen walls. She's over-sensitized from all that his body has commanded of her in these last few days so she can feel her orgasm coiling as he moves. He drops his head and takes her nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue as he pulls out of her and nipping it as he plunges back in. Her back arches and she cries out with the torturous ache of it. Her fingers press into his flesh as she urges him to continue. He moans against her breast and rocks into her again. She gasps, pushing up and meeting his thrusts as the pleasure tightens within her. He kisses his way back up to her mouth and pulls back to look at her. There is nothing between them now but this, no more questions, just them. He moves his mouth to the curve of her neck where her pulse races against his lips and thrusts hard into her. She cries out so he does it again, chasing the urge to just bury himself so deeply inside her he becomes lost. She grinds up against him, her body throbbing and exploding as he crashes into her. She can feel the heat of him fill the space in her belly where her desire began and she arches in acceptance.

Her body curls around him, still trembling even after their breathing slows. He waits until he feels her relax before easing off of her and stretching out by her side.

She turns and looks at him, "what are we going to do today?" She arches her body, extending her limbs and stretching her sore muscles until she can feel the pull all the way down to her toes.

He turns toward the window and seeing the sun shine at last he smiles, "well, since the weather has decided to cooperate, I think I'll start with a tour of Washington D.C."

She scrunches up her forehead in a look of confusion, "Booth, I've seen Washington, we live here."

"I promise you this will be a new experience for you. If you're not having a good time just let me know and we'll change plans. We can have breakfast before we leave and I have the perfect place in mind for lunch." He's obviously excited about his plans so she decides not to push him with more questions about the tour.

She nudges him with her leg, "I have somewhere I want to take you but not until ten or later."

He doesn't try to hide his surprise, "you have plans for us later? Do I get any clues?" His enthusiasm makes her smile; she has always loved the playful side of him.

"No, no clues. It's just somewhere I have been meaning to take you. You'll have to wait and see." She has a mischievous grin and he's pleased to see her making an effort. She slips from the bed and stands up, "let's make breakfast, I'm starving and you're always going on about what an important meal it is." He watches her, a warmth spreading in his belly and even though his body doesn't have the energy to act on the impulse, he feels the desire for her.

"You have such an amazing body it's a crime to cover it up, you should walk around nude all the time." He's grinning as she turns toward him.

"I certainly have no objections to nudity but the kitchen is a dangerous place to be without clothes and I'm pretty sure it would be too distracting at work. You practically punch out anyone that looks at me fully dressed; I can only imagine what you would do to other men taking a look at me naked." She's joking and pulling on her robe as she speaks but even with the thought of the situation Seeley's eyes grow dark and his brow furrows in anger. She looks at him and shakes her head. "Seeley, relax, I'm not going to work naked."

He glances at her then, snapping from his thoughts of drawing his gun at other men looking at her. "Let me change that statement. You have such an amazing body it's a crime to cover it up while you're here with me…and only me." Her laughter floats back toward him as she turns to leave the room.

"I'm starving, aren't you hungry?" She is still moving toward the kitchen as she speaks and he scrambles to get out of bed and catch up with her. When he reaches the kitchen she already has water on to boil and is washing her hands. He opens the fridge, looking inside as though this is some routine between them.

"What do you want for breakfast?" He sees the ingredients for a variety of options. "Let's see, eggs, omelets, pancakes, French toast, cereal…looks like between your fridge and what we brought in the cooler from my place there are ingredients for just about anything." When she doesn't respond he turns and she's staring at him with a hesitant expression.

"What's the matter?" He fears suddenly that he's done something wrong but can't imagine what it might be.

"Nothing, I'm just not used to having anyone here in the morning, it's strange." She pauses, a blush rising on her cheeks. "If you're cooking, I'll have eggs, over easy, toast and fruit." She turns back to attend to the water that is now boiling. "Do you want coffee or tea?" Before she even gets the last of the words out of her mouth she feels his arms come around her waist.

"Any man that snuck out of here before morning or was kicked out because he wasn't what you needed was a fool. I'm grateful to be here." His voice comes low and rumbling against her ear and she lifts her shoulder into the chill it causes. She squeezes his hand where it rests against her abdomen and fights tears that confuse her as they gather. "Now, you want those eggs with a runny middle so you can dunk your toast in them? That's one of my specialties; it's exactly how Parker likes them. We call those dippy eggs." She knows he's changing the subject to help her and she sighs deeply as she settles herself.

"Yes, dippy eggs would be great." As the foreign term slips too softly from her lips he kisses her neck and releases her, turning back to the fridge. He rubs his hands together and begins to pull items out and place them on the counter. As she turns Temperance notices the light blinking on her answering machine. When she presses the button, Cam's voice fills the room, her tone of annoyance dripping from every word.

They look at each other wearing equally shocked expressions.

"Damn Seeley I forgot to charge my phone when we got back last night. Who knows how long she was trying to get a hold of us. With your phone not working and the power out at your house she probably wonders where we were that we didn't call her back." She grabs her phone from her bag and sets it into the charger on the counter.

"Hey, it's not like we weren't working, we couldn't help the thing with the phones and the power outage. I'll stop by my office today and turn my phone in to be fixed; they'll give me a temporary and forward my calls. There's almost always someone in the geek squad department on the weekends. Maybe you should call Angela and see if anything happened at work we need to know about before you return Cam's call." She smiles at his use of terms for the IT department, and some of the worry leaves her face. Everything for him seems so simple.

She moves into the living room to call Angela and he brings her the cup of tea she left behind. The sound of him in the kitchen brings a small smile to her as she dials the phone.

Angela doesn't know of anything happening at work other than Cam seeming angry when asking for Bren's whereabouts. She did say it _felt_ like something was going on but try as she might she didn't hear of a thing. Temperance explains about the phones but leaves out the part about the power being out at Booth's and how he is currently standing half naked in her kitchen making her breakfast. It's too soon to explain it to everyone else when she's still figuring it out for herself.

She dials Cam's cell phone number half hoping it will go to voice mail, but in that instant Cam answers.

"Dr. Brennan, it's so nice to finally hear from you." The sarcasm in her voice is stinging and even Temperance can't miss it.

"I was unaware you were trying to reach me until this morning. What did you need?" She doesn't like Cam's tone and automatically switches into the detached voice of her working self.

"I was trying to get an update on the case. In the future when you decide to rearrange your schedule I would like you to call in and speak to me personally. I don't want to find out from Angela. Everyone on the team reports to me, not to each other and that includes you. Are we clear?"

Temperance can feel her anger climbing but she isn't about to let it show. "That's fine, is there anything else you need, I'm rather busy right now."

"Yes, actually, I would like to speak to Booth, please put him on the phone." Cam's sure she has caught the doctor by surprise and would give anything to actually see her face at this moment. She's shocked by the response.

"Booth isn't here. Why would you think he was? I dropped him off last night and his apartment had no power but he said it didn't matter because he had plans for the weekend anyway and wasn't going to be home. His cell phone was messed up by a scrambler we were sitting near in the field yesterday so I'm not sure it's working. Honestly I don't know how to get a hold of him at the moment." Temperance can't believe that the lie spills so easily from her but it spews almost without her control from some instinctually protective place within her.

There is a moment of silence in which Cam desperately tries to regroup. "You want me to believe that you have no idea how to reach Booth right now?" Her voice is an octave higher than she would like it to be.

"Dr. Saroyan I don't know what you're trying to imply but I don't usually see Booth on the weekend. I have other commitments and a very busy schedule, it's not like we travel in the same social circles." She serves up the information in her most monotone voice, giving absolutely nothing away.

_The same social circles?_ Cam almost bursts out laughing, she's fairly certain that Brennan has no social circles. She feels her frustration rise with her inability to really get a read whether or not Dr. Brennan is telling her the truth. Could she have heard someone that sounded like her with Seeley? Did either one of them say the other one's name or did she fill in that blank herself? She's unclear now on the details and it makes her angry at herself. She should have focused on the facts but she was so overwhelmed by the sound of them…it was them wasn't it? If not, who was Seeley with in his hotel room while on assignment? It had to be her and yet there was a small nagging doubt because as much as the voice sounded like Temperance Brennan, the pure inhibition was the polar opposite of the woman she knew.

"Dr. Saroyan is there anything else because the reports are on your desk, the final will be in Monday unless I come by later today and the case is closed. I do have somewhere I need to be this morning." Brennan's voice startles her from her thoughts and she decides she needs another approach to the situation.

"No, that'll be all for now. If you see or hear from Booth let him know he needs to contact me right away." She just doesn't believe that Booth goes a weekend without contacting Brennan.

"Actually Cam he doesn't answer to you so I'm uncomfortable with that request and besides I told you he said he was going out of town. I suggest you continue to try his phone. I really do have to go now. Good-bye."

Cam slips in a good-bye before the line goes dead and she's left standing there filling with anger and confusion. _What the HELL just happened?_ It takes her a moment to decide what she needs to do next, but the answer is painfully obvious to her. She needs proof. With that thought in mind she picks up her bag and keys and heads for the door.

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Temperance is absolutely steaming as she sits at the counter. Seeley heard parts of the conversation but from the look on her face he'd rather grab a scorpion by the tail than approach her at the moment. He finishes making her eggs and sets the plate in front of her, quietly slipping into the seat around the counter from her.

"Seeley, I just lied to Dr. Saroyan. Why do I let her make me so angry? She asked to speak to you. She assumed that you were here and before I could stop myself I told her that I haven't seen you. I said I had dropped you off and you told me you were going out of town for the weekend. I don't even know if she believed me. It just seems like whether or not you're here isn't any of her business." She pauses and slides a piece of her egg onto her toast and takes a bite.

He holds the smile that wants to break his face as he recognizes the protective nature of her comments and the hint of jealousy he dares not mention. "What was her actual reason for calling?"

"She was angry because she couldn't reach either of us yesterday and when I called work to say I would be in the field I spoke to Angela instead of her. Apparently that upset her idea of the work hierarchy in which she is supposed to be the nucleus of all decisions. I have always worked my own schedule; I don't understand what her issue was with yesterday." She is genuinely puzzled by Cam's attack.

"You know how she can be when she thinks there are things going on in the lab that she doesn't know anything about. Maybe she was just having one of those control freak kind of days." His mind is churning over what could have set Cam off but he knows it could have been anything, she has a quick temper.

It takes her a moment to work through the control freak comment when a smile appears on her face. "I may have made her even angrier when she asked me to give you a message to call her when I hear from you. I explained that since she isn't your boss I would be uncomfortable relaying that message. Then I got off the phone. You don't think she would come here looking for you, do you?"

He pauses mid-bite as a flash of the possible confrontation pops into his head. Would Cam pursue this to that degree?

"I don't really know but we'll be out of here after breakfast so she won't find anyone home." He continues to eat while she thinks about the information. "Are you concerned that she'll come here and catch you in a lie?"

Temperance actually laughs. "No, I don't care about that but I do care that she could make work very difficult for us. Right now I'd like some time to just enjoy us without hearing the whole world's opinion on it. If she did find you here she wouldn't have to wonder long what's going on between us, one look at your neck would tell it all." She is trying to be serious but really, he's half naked, his hair is all tousled and there are bruises and bite marks trailing over his upper body and neck. She smiles widely, reaching out and lightly tracing a particularly dark spot at the base of his neck. Her hand falls away as the look in his eyes darkens a shade. She continues to eat, fighting the feeling of being overwhelmed by him.

She finishes and gets up to take her dish to the sink but pauses to kiss him softly on the cheek. "Thank you for breakfast, the dippy eggs were perfect. Now, where are we going?" His smile is wide and genuine and it makes her chest ache. She clears their plates, moving quickly away from him before she gets distracted.

"Our actual destination is a surprise but we're going to be outside and despite the sun finally shining it's chilly out so dress warm. I'd even stick a pair of gloves in your pocket in case you need them. We should get going; I don't want to get there too late so I'm going to jump in the shower."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." She finishes with the dishes and wanders down the hall after him.

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Cam walks up the last flight of stairs wondering if she's doing the right thing. As she rounds the corner she almost runs into a man in the dimly lit hallway. His attire suggests maintenance and the loop of keys on his belt gives her hope. He appears to be in his fifties but she thinks that must be the weight of his life showing. She can't believe her luck.

"Excuse me, do you work here?" She puts on her sweetest smile, watching him scratch the edge of his receding hair line as he nods. "I'm a friend of Seeley Booth's since the power outage I've been unable to contact him. I was hoping you could let me in just to make sure he's alright." She watches him take in her words and tries to look as harmless and feminine as possible. After a few seconds he pulls a device from his pocket that looks like a PDA.

He punches in some numbers before looking at her. "Are you Temperance Brennan?" Her shocked expression tells him all he needs to know so he continues. "It says here his emergency contact is Temperance Brennan and that she has a spare key. I can call her if you'd like and see if she's heard from him or is willing to come let you inside."

Cam quickly steps on her anger, "no, that's fine. I know Dr. Brennan I'll call her myself. Thank you for your help." She forces herself to walk slowly away from him, continuing to Seeley's apartment.

How could he sleep with her and give Brennan the key to his apartment? She's known him all this time and thought they were at least friends. Of course she had never asked him for a key either. She pulls out a piece of paper and pretends she's writing him a note while she picks the lock. It's sticking and she can't get the final cylinder to click. For a moment she thinks this may not work and just as she's considering abandoning the entire idea, it opens. She quickly steps inside and quietly shuts the door behind her.

Despite the morning sun, the room is substantially darker than the hallway and it suddenly occurs to her that he could be home. She can feel the sweat trickle at the base of her spine and gather on her upper lip. Would he stay here with the power out? Did he really go out of town or is he with Brennan? She moves quietly into the room and decides the best approach is to just act like she belongs here.

"Seeley?" She walks boldly down the hall, calling his name and looking for him as though she just dropped in and didn't pick the lock to be here. She scans the rooms as she moves noting several things she wants to come back and inspect once she's sure she's alone. His apartment is empty so she slows down and begins to really look around. In the kitchen she sees the remnants of some kind of meal; he had sterno cans burning which means he was here after the power went out. She lifts the coffee cup on the counter and smells it then carries it to the early morning light of the window. She tries to remember if she ever saw Seeley drink tea but as she's turning the cup in her hand she sees the smudge of lipstick on the rim. He wasn't here alone.

Forty minutes later she slips out the front door, locking it behind her. She knows he left and took his bathroom stuff so he knew he wasn't coming back. She has no idea if there were clothes missing but the dresser drawer was open so he may have packed in a hurry. The bed was a mess and she thought the scent of sex was detectable in the room. It could mean everything or nothing, she has no idea and she really doesn't want to let her mind linger there too long. Her face is twisted with confusion. The evidence is inconclusive. He could have come in and packed and left for the weekend with some woman just as Brennan said or they're together and making a complete fool of her. As her hand wraps around the cool metal of her car door she decides she'll take a detour on the way home.

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Temperance is drying her hair but in reality she's watching Seeley dress. She fights the urge to go touch him, to run her tongue along the line of his muscles, to press her mouth against him and take just a small nip at his skin. She shakes her head and looks in the mirror, her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are glassy and her chest is heaving just a bit too much. She wants him with a ferocity that frightens her, she takes him with a frequency that exhausts her, she orgasms with an intensity that shocks her and then she wants him again. If this is love she can see why it has historically made people insane. She turns off her dryer and adjusts her bra strap, touching the mark on her shoulder where his mouth worked relentlessly until she was pleading with him. Her nipples tighten at the memory and she laughs softly. Even without him touching her, her own body responds to him. She pulls a tank top over her head and then a thick cream Irish sweater, lifting the edge to tuck her tank into a faded pair of jeans. When she looks up he's dressed and watching her with that sparkle in his eyes that can mean only one thing.

"I'm just about ready." She runs a brush through her hair as she speaks and even though she isn't looking she knows he's smiling now. As she moves to her closet and bends to find her boots she can feel the heat of his stare moving over her. She takes her time putting them on, carefully pulling her pant leg over the top of them and smoothing it out before standing once again. She's digging out a scarf and gloves when she hears him.

"You really have no idea do you?" She turns around looking quizzically in his direction. "That you're so beautiful. You really have no idea." He sees the color rise in her cheeks.

"I don't think about it and I don't really understand women that do. I suppose if there was something wrong with my appearance, some sort of birth defect, then I would probably be more self conscious." He laughs and extends his hand in her direction.

"Like I said, you really just have no idea. Come on, let's get going." She slides her fingers into his outstretched hand and lets him lead her through the apartment. He's wearing a black turtleneck and a suede jacket with his jeans and black hiking boots. She thinks about how the soft suede will feel against her palm as she takes it off of him later, how the weight of it will thump as it hits the floor. She grabs her jacket and bag as they head to the door and notices as he picks up a backpack that he slips over his shoulder with a wicked grin on his face. She remembers the phone and releases his hand to retrieve it, dropping it into her bag.

As Temperance steps outside the cold air captures her breath and she turns her face toward the warmth of the sun. The sky is a clear brilliant blue but in the distance of the sun she feels the first steps of winter quietly approaching. The moment feels surreal to her, walking with Seeley as the ache from their lovemaking tugs at her thighs. Her chest fills and tightens as the feeling swells and she slows her step as she forces the cold air into her lungs. She realizes that every where she has been in her life she could have predicted except feeling this way in a parking lot with him.

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Comments are welcomed, okay encouraged…okay, okay…comments are an amazing gift that continue to give to the author long after you have closed the page. That's the truth of it. Thanks for reading, I really do appreciate it.  


	15. Chapter 15

Bathing Beauty Chapter 15

A/N: This is a light chapter, a relationship chapter so to speak. Thanks for reading and as always comments are appreciated.

Disclaimer: Not mine, just on loan.

They had been on the road about ten minutes when Temperance realizes that this is something they have never done. Every time they have ever gone somewhere it's been tied to work. Even when they have dinner together it's after a long day on a tough case. She hasn't climbed into his truck to just go somewhere that had no threads what so ever to their jobs. _That would be what makes this a date, going somewhere with him just for the fun of it._ It's almost more shocking to her that she's going on a date with him than it was to have sex with him. She starts to chuckle at her own thoughts and he looks over at her questioningly.

"What is so entertaining?" He's smiling just being out with her.

"I just realized we're on a date." She's laughing which he takes as a good sign but he does wonder sometimes how a woman so incredibly bright can completely miss the obvious.

"Well I was trying to sneak that in without you noticing but now that you know I guess I can't hide it anymore. Temperance you are officially on a date with me, I believe it technically started as soon as you got into the truck." He's trying to use a serious voice but the laughter he can't contain is seeping into his words.

She sobers up a little and looks over at him. "Does this mean that last week you were just using me for sex?" Her expression becomes blank and he's immediately horrified.

"NO, I mean…I just…no, that's not at all what happened…I…" He stops his floundering as her laughter fills the car. She had him, completely and totally had him. He shakes his head, smiling now. "Oh I see how it is, first you lie to Cam and now you're pulling my leg. It's amazing how quickly you're learning not to always be brutally honest."

"Hey, you're the one that started all this; _they don't need to know exactly how the person died Bones, try a little finesse when you're asking questions, omitting information isn't the same as lying…_you've taught me well Booth."

"I didn't know then that you were such a quick study or I might have kept some things to myself. It never occurred to me that you would use them against me. _I've created a monster."_ He uses his best mad doctor voice at the end but he's lost her with that one. "Haven't you ever seen any of the Frankenstein movies? They were filled with science stuff; it would have been right up your alley."

"Booth, the ability to reanimate a living thing doesn't exist, in science or any other realm. What little I recall of the Frankenstein story was a far cry from science. It was a horror movie based on more fantasy than reality and the few times Russ tried to get me to watch it I just became frustrated." Her voice has tightened with the memory of Russ even thinking she'd be entertained by something so ridiculous.

"Ahh, there's the woman I know and love." There is a slightly awkward pause even though he's smiling as the word love hangs between them. He has been feeling it for a long time, but saying it still makes him pause. He's so used to censoring what he says to her.

"First you compare me to Frankenstein and then you taunt me about my lack of interest in mindless pop culture? If this is how you are on a date I can see why you've had some problems." She's suppressing a smile.

"Hey now, I didn't have any _problems_ with women. I did go out with some women that had problems though." He laughs, clearly entertained by his own cleverness. "For the record, I was quoting the movie to compare myself to the mad doctor, not to compare you to Frankenstein. As for the pop culture, well, I'll probably always have a little fun with that."

"The doctor role doesn't fit but the mad part certainly works." She laughing now and he exaggerates a wounded expression.

He relaxes then and takes her hand, "I can't be all that bad on a date. I don't know when I've seen you smile so much."

"It's all those endorphins from the sex."

"I'm hurt, I thought it was the pleasure of my company, my charming smile and amusing wit that had you so entertained." He squeezes her hand gently and she returns the gesture.

"Well, maybe a little but I told you a long time ago that your charming smile doesn't work on me." He glances over at her and they have matching grins.

"I can assure you that yours works on me." His tone has softened and she turns her gaze to the changing landscape.

"I don't have a smile that charms people Booth, that's your department."

"HA! You do so. You almost charmed that pants right off those guys in Vegas when you were being Roxie. You may not always use it but you definitely have it." She's blushing now, remembering Vegas. It's seems that whole trip was coated in an extra layer of heat.

"Where are we going again?" She shifts the subject, not wanting to linger in the past when she is so enjoying the present.

"Slick Bones, _very slick_. I never told you where we were going, but we're almost there." As he speaks they turn onto a dirt road with trees tightly lining both sides and she starts to pay closer attention. Just a moment later the trees give way on the left and there is a rolling expanse of open land. She sees a truck and then it all comes together for her. Past the truck, out in the field is a large hot air balloon already filled and waiting.

He watches her eyes grow wide and the smile slip across her face as it dawns on her what they're going to do. She turns to him with a look of excitement that lights up her face in a way he rarely gets to experience. "Are we going up to tour the city?"

He nods, grinning like a fool over her reaction. He had been apprehensive when making the plans, wondering how she would react to the idea of it. It had never come up between them so he was unsure if she would be afraid or excited by the prospect. In the end he deduced that her adventurous spirit had taken her half way around the world on digs so this would be acceptable to her. In actuality it makes him a little nervous to think about being that high in the air in a basket but he isn't about to let her know it. She's wrapping a scarf around her neck and gathering her bag and gloves as he brings the truck to a stop near the other vehicle. She exits the car immediately and walks over to the balloon. Seeley approaches a man with a full head of grey hair that is about his height but built on the slimmer side. She watches the men shake hands and begin to talk before turning back to the balloon. Its size and color are magnificent and she can feel a slight vibration from the roaring heating unit. She's so engrossed that she jumps when Booth touches her arm.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan, this is Ed Sanderson." She smiles and shakes his hand.

"It's nice to meet you. I was just admiring your balloon, it's so beautiful." She pushes her hands into her pockets, unsure of where to put them. Seeley recognizes the familiar habit and smiles.

"Have you ever been up before?" His voice is low but has a flat twang in it and she's thinking he may have originally been from Texas.

"Actually no, I've always wanted to try it but never got around to it. How long have you been ballooning?"

Seeley watches the friendly exchange amazed at how relaxed she is as she chats with Ed, occasionally eyeing the balloon. After just a few moments they're climbing into the basket and launching into the air. Ed speaks on a hand set to his crew on the ground until they're well above the tree line. At some point Booth has taken her hand and she's surprised that she doesn't know when. She has the sensation that she's floating more than flying, her stomach flutters. She's surprised by several things, first the basket is far larger that she thought it would be and it has a small shelf running along two sides. Second, it's much louder than she imagined when the engine is opened to release more hot air into the balloon to take them higher. The third thing and one she could have figured out if she had given it much thought was that there is so little wind because they're moving the same speed as the air. The fields have given way and Washington D.C. has come into view in the distance. Glimmering on the horizon like a far off OZ the view is breathtaking. She turns to look at Booth and he's staring at her with a look of such tenderness it makes her chest tighten.

He's been watching her, memorizing the sight of her with her eyes wide in awe and a look that he thinks may be simple joy on her face. She looks so stunning he becomes lost in her face and sees her for maybe the first time as just Temperance. Her past, her science, her demons all seem to have been left on the ground and she's fully immersed in this moment with him. He wants to touch her, wishing suddenly that they could be alone and that the balloon would magically fly itself. When she turns to look at him her eyes are so clear and bright it sends a charge burning down to his penis. He sucks in a breath and holds it, trying to suppress the erection her look has brought to life.

He pulls off the backpack to try to distract himself and begins unzipping and removing items from inside. He opens a thermos and fills a tall mug before handing it to her and then filling one for himself. The scent hits her before he ever puts the cup in her hands and she smiles.

"Hot chocolate, I think you just made this the perfect morning." He laughs softly and stands back by her side. She can see the desire on his face now and her smile widens. "What are you thinking about right now Seeley?"

He steps behind her so he's looking out over her shoulder and leans down next to her ear. "About how amazing it would be to be buried deep inside you right now. Just like this, up against the side while the world moves underneath us." He has been standing just behind her but as he speaks she keeps pressing back into him until her ass is nestled firmly against his bulging jeans. He can feel the shift in her, the need coming to life. She leans back so she can whisper to him.

"I want you too Seeley. How soon do you think we can make that happen?" He glances over the side as though he's considering a jump and she laughs warmly.

"It looks like we at least have to wait until we get back on the ground." He turns his head, tucks his chin into her scarf and kisses her on the side of the neck.

As the balloon begins to move over buildings she points to the left of the horizon. "Look, there's downtown, I can see the White House." She's speaking like a tourist but the entire time she's shifting her hips, rubbing herself against his now aching penis. Ed turns sideways in his seat, looking at a small monitor in one hand and speaking into a black microphone in his other. He leans over to check the propane tanks tucked in the corner before turning his attention on them.

"Okay, Let the tour begin! We are now approaching downtown Washington D.C., the most visible landmark being the Washington monument…" Seeley feels her chuckle as Ed's voice bounces around them, naming all of the famous sites in their city. Seeley finishes his hot chocolate and steps away from her to tuck his mug back in the bag. As he leans back against her he slips his arm back around her waist and she points down to the Jeffersonian.

Ed is quite funny and very knowledgeable about the history of the city and its landmarks. When they approach the Jeffersonian he describes it as the place of employment of the famous author and forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. She laughs and turns to him, nodding her head in acknowledgement and mouthing thank you. It's his next sentence that catches her attention. His history of the airport includes the fact that Agent Booth picked her up there after she was detained for carrying human remains. How he had arranged the meeting to put them together for their first active case. When she turns this time it's all the way around to face Seeley. Ed is announcing their numerous ties to the F.B.I. building as she sets down her mug and slips her arms around his neck. Her lips are gentle, teasing against his. He feels her whisper of thanks more than he hears it.

She wants to kiss him, to suck his bottom lip between her own and taste it before sliding her tongue into him. Its Ed's presence that holds her back, he's still giving his presentation and Temperance knows if she starts to kiss Seeley now, she won't be able to stop. She has been almost painfully aroused since he whispered in her ear when the tour began. Ed has paused and she turns back to the rail on the side smiling and blushing. She watches the city she loves beneath the clear blue sky while Ed resumes his history of their lives.

She didn't realize they had been so many places and done so many things together. As Ed narrates their tour, mentioning places in relation to their time together, Temperance is doing a mental narration of her own. They float over Wong Foos Restaurant where she first realized how much she trusted Seeley and gave him her parent's case file. The Diner where she coaxed him inside to celebrate Zach's doctorate after telling him she wasn't meant to have a family. They drift over Arlington National cemetery where she tried to comfort him with a gentle hand while he briefly told her about the difficulty of his sniper years. The courthouse where he gave the attorney her personal information to use against her on the stand comes into view. Although it allowed them to beat Michael Stires testimony, the building gives her mixed feelings. She understood why Booth had done it and wasn't angry, she was actually glad he had chosen to protect the best interest of the victim but it still hurt. The shooting range where she watched him draw his gun and shoot after he thought she was gone. All the heat in her body had compressed between her legs and she had to consciously force herself to walk away. She had buried that memory of him in a deep corner of her mind and only allowed herself to visit it during the dark of night.

Temperance shakes her head to dislodge her thoughts and stares once again at the landscape below. Ed's voice comes back into focus and she hears him reference Angela's apartment. She laugh's at the image of Angela fussing about her apartment as they fly overhead. Seeley's chin nestles into the side of her neck as he kisses her ear and it's just then that she notices his hand has made its way under both her shirts to her abdomen. The cold air of the morning seeps around his hand and along her skin. He strokes his fingers over her skin, tracing the edge of her jeans. The pulse of desire causes her to clench her thighs, her hips automatically tipping slightly back toward him.

She turns her head and leans it against his shoulder so she can speak softly to him again. "Seeley if you keep touching me Ed is going to find out a whole lot more about us than he already knows." His laughter is rich and warm and only makes her want him more. Ed tells them that he has to change their altitude so he can catch an air current back toward their cars. The change brings colder air and Temperance pulls out her gloves and does up her coat as she watches the city below recede to just the impression of one. Seeley is handing her more hot chocolate and she's grateful for the warmth it provides her hands. She thinks about the last few days with him, about how the wind coaxed the words of love from her. She feels comfortable up here in the open sky where all her emotions have endless room to expand. Maybe it's the thin air or the cold but up here she can think of loving him without the panic taking hold.

She turns slightly to look at him. He's leaning forward, his arms resting on the worn leather bound edge of the basket as he scans the ground. She lets herself take in the look of him, his dark hair tousled, his cheeks red from the cold, his strong jaw and slight smile. He's a very handsome man by any standards and she knows what a remarkable body comes with those looks. She thinks about how happy she is at this moment and how strange that feeling is to her. A month ago if anyone had asked her she would have said she was fairly happy, at least as much as most people. She feels a great sense of satisfaction from her job and after starting at the Jeffersonian a sense of contentment had settled over her. But happy? She doesn't think she's been really happy in a long time, so long in fact that the feeling is uncomfortable for her. It makes her afraid that if she allows herself to be happy again she's just setting herself up to lose it again and she isn't sure she can survive that twice. She realizes that she has spiraled into self analyzation and psychology, the two things she finds most annoying. She pulls herself toward the side and mimics Seeley's stance next to him, taking in the view. She tilts her face into the sharp sting of cold air and lets it distract her. She slides her arm through Seeley's and he turns and wraps it around her instead.

She's changing, this relationship is changing her and she can feel it as surely as cells dividing under her microscope. Ironically it feels just as deep, cellular in nature. Two weeks ago she would have been uncomfortable about a stranger knowing details of even her professional life with Booth, much less her personal one. Today it was only a momentary flash in her brain that burst and was gone when she realized he had made the tour personal. She nuzzles her head further into his neck, seeking the warmth of him and he tightens his arm around her. Her body still holds a dull ache from all their recent activity and still she feels her desire for him gather. She hears a click and a hum and turns in time to see Ed smiling behind a camera. They both turn and smile at him and he snaps a photo of the two of them against the crystalline sky.

The fields where they're parked come into view and they drift over them, dropping into another wind current to be carried back until they are close enough to set down. The landing is surprisingly gentle, ending with just a soft thud as they settle back onto the ground.

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Cam comes to a sudden stop in the parking garage and sits for a long moment staring at the small sports car that she knows belongs to Dr. Brennan. She wishes now she had thought to stop by the office and pick up her reports so she could knock on the door under the pretence of needing an explanation or signature. Now she's left with no excuse and the car being here doesn't really confirm whether or not Temperance actually left her home. Cam has circled the parking structure twice and is certain that Seeley's car is not here. The circumstances still leave room for the possibility that they are together, spending the day somewhere.

After sitting for another few moments, she suddenly starts laughing. Her demons have gotten the better of her today. She's actually stalking Booth trying to find out if he's seeing Dr. Brennan, or anyone else for that matter. She knows this isn't just about Booth, she doesn't like being the last to know things that concern her. If they're sneaking around and making a fool of her she's going to do everything in her power to make them pay for it. She tries once again to recall the exact sounds she heard on the phone and wonders if she was wrong about it being Brennan. Second guessing always frustrates her; she likes a nice clean controlled answer. She decides to at least be prepared the next time.

The sharp knock on her window startles her out of her thoughts and a small cry escapes her. She blinks slowly and cracks the window, placing her hand over her pounding heart.

"Officer you scared me half to death. How can I help you?" She looks at the man in the dark blue security uniform but he doesn't return her smile.

"Are you having some kind of a problem Ms. Saroyan?" He is calm and still, an older man, probably in his fifties that looks a lot like Dennis Hopper in a bad mood. It's immediately obvious that he takes his job very seriously.

"No, it's Dr. Saroyan, I work with Dr. Brennan at the Jeffersonian and came by to see if she was home but she doesn't seem to be here and I guess I just got lost in thought. How do you know my name?" She leaves the window cracked, suddenly a little uncomfortable with the situation. She glances at his name tag, George Hollander. It may turn out that she needs to know this guys name.

"I checked on your plate from the surveillance camera. This is a secure building and we follow up on anything suspicious. May I see some identification please?"

She's trying to be nice but is now irritated by his asking for an i.d. She pulls her wallet and produces her license, feeding it through the small opening. He looks at it for a moment and hands it back to her.

"Thank you Dr. Saroyan. You can follow the exit signs out of the garage and enjoy the rest of your day." He taps the side of the car as though nudging it out of the building and Cam can feel her anger rise. In the end she just pulls away, watching George get smaller in her rear view mirror. She decides that she needs to get control of this situation; she can't just follow the two of them around and hope she sees something. She doubts Brennan is into public displays of affection anyway. As she pulls onto the street she decides that a visit to a friend of hers that sells surveillance equipment is in order.

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Seeley looks over at Temperance, although he's comfortable in the silence he's aware that too much time to think is almost always dangerous for her.

"Hey, you've been quiet since the balloon turned and brought us back to the field. Is everything alright?" He glances over in time to see her smile and he immediately feels better.

"Everything is fine; more than fine really, it's been a remarkable morning. I loved the balloon ride; I'd like to do it again sometime. I've just been thinking about us."

"Thinking good things about us or brooding over possible bad things?" He keeps it light and teasing but the question makes him nervous.

She flashes him a side glance and fidgets in her seat. "Last night I was lying next to you and I remembered something my mother said when I was little, seven or so. She had told me that love was like the wind, something you couldn't see or control but something you could feel. She made it logical, tangible so I could understand it and accept it." She pauses, her eyes steady on the glass of the window, not beyond. He knows she's struggling with the memory and what it means. She sighs deeply beside him. "This thing between us has been so intense that is seemed to culminate with the storm last night. All those feelings whipping around, well you know what happened."

Yes he did know and thinking about it made his thigh twitch, his mouth dry, his chest ache and his pulse race. As the next question came to him he clenched his jaw, bracing himself, afraid of what her answer may be. "Do you regret it?"

She knows what he's asking without elaboration. "No, why would I regret it? It's true." She pauses, a flush coloring her cheeks. "I'm just not used to it and I wanted you to know. Isn't that what people in relationships do? I thought…"

"You're right Temperance, that's exactly what people in relationships do." He sees the relief on her face, negotiating this new role has made her look vulnerable and unsure of herself in a way that's new to him. He reaches over and squeezes her hand, wishing that he wasn't driving so he could take her in his arms. It occurs to him that maybe that's why their having this conversation in the car, because it's easier for her to not look at him and that's okay. "You're doing great Bones. You know, more often than not you get it right."

"You didn't always feel that way. You used to tell me all the time not to say what I thought because it offended people."

"Now, I never said it offended them, just that it hurt their feelings. Look, you're a very bright woman and a very creative writer and you just didn't realize how graphic the images were that you presented to people. You're strong, you deal with those images every day but to other people it's shocking." When he looks over at her she's smiling.

"As much as I hate psychology I still believe this is called selective memory. I recall you being quite offended when I told you Jesus was a zombie." He knows she smirking in that triumphant squinty way and he notes her crossing her arms as she does when punctuating her point.

"Bones, I thought we agreed to leave religion and Jesus out of our conversations. He was not a zombie. We should change the subject. I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer with the first thing that comes to mind." He's very pleased with himself for having thought of this game.

"Booth you know I hate psychology. What kind of questions are they?" Her suspicion is obvious in her tone.

"Just play, it's a questionnaire from a television show. There are only ten questions. We'll both do it and by then we'll almost be at our lunch destination." He's using his cajoling voice, soft and pleading. She won't admit it to him but she'd give him anything when he speaks to her in that voice. He uses it in bed, in the beginning when his hands and mouth are everywhere. When he's inside her it's another voice, deeper, rougher, born from the urge to moan. She has to stop. Everything she thinks about shouldn't lead her back to thoughts of sex with him.

"Uh Bones, are you with me?"

"Yes, fine, let's play. What's the first question?" She wants to move on before he notices the change in her, before he asks her what's on her mind.

"What's your favorite word?" He's genuinely curious in what her answers are going to be.

"Empirical." She answers with a swift confidence that surprises him.

"What's your least favorite word?"

"Faith. I know these questions, they've been credited to a French series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot, but that's not actually their origin. They appeared earlier as The Proust Questionnaire because he used them throughout his life. Actually we know from history that Marcel was at the birthday party of a 13-year-old friend and was asked to answer the questions in a birthday book. Proust did not write the questionnaire; he is simply the most extraordinary person to respond to it. We actually don't know who originated it." Her eyes have lit up in recognition, "I've never taken the time to answer them myself. How did you learn about them?" She can't believe he watched the French talk show so she's confused.

"Okay, you lost me at the French stuff but I know the questions from a show called Inside the Actors Studio although the host does credit the questions to that Bernard guy you mentioned." He pauses, his mind bouncing all over the place. Her answer of faith shocked him and he suppressed the urge to argue with her about it. While his mind was still reeling she said something with a French accent and his penis pulsed. He can hardly keep up with her today so many thoughts and impulses are bouncing around his brain, his heart and his dick. She's excited and animated now that she knows what the game entails and he loves her like this. "Let's see, we were on the third question. What turns you on?" He can not control the lewd grin that widens immediately on his face.

"Your hands…and…and justice. I like when we catch the bad guys." She's stumbling and astounded that after all this time he can still make her lose her bearings. _His hands_, the answer flew from her mouth and the truth of it makes her flush. His smile makes her warm and his eyes can cause her blood to boil and churn between her legs. Even with all that, it's his hands that do the amazing thing. They cross that space between them, set a scorching fire rushing along her skin and urge her closer to him so the rest of him can claim her. "Don't say anything Seeley; we'll talk about both of our answers over lunch, until then, no questions."

Speak? Does she really think he can speak? Her answer coupled with the almost shy look has both his heads nodding in her direction. He clears his throat and concentrates on the road. He tries to remember what question he's supposed to ask next and then it comes to him. It's the opposite of the previous question. "What turns you off?" His voice is still thick with emotion.

"Pshchiatrists." This brings a chuckle from him.

"What sound or noise do you love?"

"Percolating coffee." She barely smiles, her eyes fix on nothing in particular.

"What sound or noise do you hate?"

"Squeeling tires." It's killing him not asking her about each of her answers

"Whats your favorite curse word?"

"Fuck." She says it softly and it's intentional. She watches his knuckles turn white as his grip tightens on the wheel. He's looking straight ahead now but is aware of her eyes on him, moving down and lingering on the bulge in his pants. He adjusts slightly in his seat trying to compensate for the tightness and decides to just keep going with the questions in hopes of being okay by the time they reach the restaurant.

"What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?"

"Astronaut."

"What profession would you not like to do?"

"Accountant."

"If heaven exists, what do you want to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?"

"The pearly gates? Are you serious?" She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"Just play along Temperance."

"Your mother's waiting right over here…" He expected her to have to think about this question so her sudden answer stuns him and the longing in it slices through him. "Okay Booth, it's your turn. What's your favorite word?"

"Ice cream truck."

She starts laughing, "you're supposed to be serious and besides, that's more than one word."

"Okay, honesty." She lifts her brow and looks at him but doesn't comment on his answer this time.

"What's your least favorite word?"

"Child abuse." She knows its two words but doesn't correct him this time because she also knows it's a truthful answer.

"What turns you on?" She tries to keep her voice even but it still comes out deeper than normal.

"Well apparently bathrooms." They both start laughing. She looks at him for a moment as though she's waiting for something. "What? I'm leaving that as my answer."

Shaking her head she continues, "What turns you off?"

"A not guilty verdict on a technicality."

"What's your favorite sound?"

"This is an easy one, Parker laughing."

"What's your least favorite sound?"

"The safety on my sniper rifle being released." She stills next to him as all the things that answer means sink into her thoughts.

"What profession, other than your own would you like to attempt?"

"A race car driver."

"What profession would you not like to attempt?"

"A ballet dancer, I don't look good in tights. No wait, I want to change that to gynecologist." He see's her looking at him, poised to comment. "Remember, no discussion until we're at lunch."

"What's your favorite curse word?"

"Under my breath it's mother fucker."

"If heaven exists, what do you want to hear God say when you arrive?"

"You're forgiven." The car falls silent and he's grateful that they're turning into the parking lot of the restaurant. He couldn't have timed it better if he had tried. He didn't expect the simple game to reveal so much about them. He wants to talk to her but he decides to wait until they're settled at the table.

The small bistro type restaurant is on the north edge of the city and Temperance has never been to it. Its ivory exterior with painted climbing vines is reminiscent of small town Europe. She feels like they could be in Europe, miles and miles from home. As they approach the building he takes her hand and for the first time it feels completely natural to her. They opt for a table on the back deck near the fire pit so they can stay warm and still enjoy the beautiful day. He pulls his chair around so they're sitting next to each other.

She watches him when she should be reading the menu. Her desire spreads slowly into her limbs. His answers move through her thoughts, so inclusive of all aspects of him, all the reasons she loves him. Her hand slides onto his thigh as she leans toward his ear, "so bathrooms, huh?"

tbc…

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I know it's sort of an odd place to stop but I had to pick a place because this was becoming a monster chapter. More will come. Hope you enjoyed a bit of relationship building, don't worry we'll be back to serious smut in the next chapter. Thanks for reading.


	16. Chapter 16

Bathing Beauty Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry for the delay, SVU fans, your chapter is on its way. Hope you all enjoy and as always thanks so much for reading. Comments are always welcome and appreciated. For those that celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving.

**Warning: Rated M, sexually explicit material, over 18 only.**

Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing with them.

Her hand slides a little further up his thigh and he feels a tingle from the rush of blood. She's looking at the fire now, her expression almost innocent. Anyone passing by would have no idea that she's an inch away from stroking him under the table. Seeley clears his throat and shifts in his chair but his change in position just gives her easier access and her hand curls around his growing erection. A satisfied sigh escapes her. Seeley looks guilty, aroused and horrified all at once. When she turns to look at him she starts laughing.

"Where's your game face?" He's confused for a moment before catching up to her.

"It's poker face Bones and there are people out here. They can see us." He tries to smile but just looks nervous.

Her hand grips him a little tighter, stroking him through his jeans, her thumb nudging the head of him. She leans into him again, bringing her lips close enough to brush his ear when she speaks. "They don't know what I'm doing. They can't see under the table. Do you want me to stop?" Her voice is low and sleepy, her sex voice. He knows her sex voice and she's speaking to him with it while rubbing his cock under the table on the open deck of this restaurant. The reality of it all makes him harder. When she pulls out his sweater and pops the button on his jeans he grabs her wrist.

"Ah ah ahhh, that will be enough right there."

Her eyes are wide with feigned innocence. "What? I asked if you wanted me to stop and you didn't answer so I was continuing." The sun is shining on them but he swears there is a twinkle in her eye that is the spark of pure mischief. She draws her hand back into her own lap just as the waitress reaches the table. Booth shoots her an exaggerated look of "see we would have been caught" and she just rolls her eyes at him. Part of her doesn't care, doesn't understand the subtle nuances that people use to pass judgment and doesn't care to learn. She's been blocking out social rules since high school when they made her an outcast for reasons that are still a mystery to her.

"Bones, do you know what you want to order?" She looks at him and realizes he has already ordered and she has been so lost in thought that she hasn't really gone over the menu. Still chilly from the cold air on the deck despite the fire she opts for something to warm her up.

"Do you have a good stew or soup?" The waitress gives her a warm smile and Temperance returns it, grateful that this is not a woman who addresses only Booth's charming smile at the table and ignores her completely. It has been her experience that most waitresses or women in general just flirt with Booth and barely acknowledge her much less make actual eye contact like this woman.

"Actually we have a wonderful Mediterranean Vegetable Stew that's very rich with layers of flavor from different spices. It's served with Naan bread fresh off the fire." Her voice is deep with a slight accent that Temperance knows is European but can't exactly place. She looks at her for a moment, thick dark hair, green eyes, high cheek bones and the rhythmic voice should be enough for Temperance to determine where she was born but she can't and it bothers her. Objectively the woman is quite beautiful. She realizes the woman is smiling at her, waiting for her to finish staring and her cheeks color at being caught studying her.

"I'll have the stew and a hot tea with a little brandy in it. I need to warm up." The waitress' smile widens.

"I'll take care of that for you." In a rare moment of clarity Temperance feels the words have another meaning in the way the green eyes hold hers as she speaks. When she leans forward to take their menus Temperance catches her name, Aija. After the waitress has left she turns her attention back to Booth, who is just staring at her with the oddest of expressions.

"What's the matter with you Booth?" He shakes his head, unsure of whether or not to say anything to her. The woman had clearly been flirting and Seeley was somewhat embarrassed to admit that he was a little jealous and a whole lot aroused by the scene. He couldn't help it, Bones had just been touching him and both women were beautiful. In his mind, with his hard on pushing against his jeans it was like watching the opening scene in a porno. He decides to see if she recognized what had happened.

"Did you know that she was flirting with you?" He watches her tip her head and consider the comment.

"You probably think that because she wasn't flirting with you but I think she was just being friendly." She has a small smile and he's not sure if she's more amused by the situation or him.

"You're right about her not flirting with me but that's not why I said it. She never took her eyes off of you, even when I ordered and you were daydreaming. Then there was that comment she made about helping you get warm. You didn't pick up on that?" His voice is somewhat exasperated.

"Even if she was flirting with me what difference would it make?" She looks genuinely curious as she asks him but there is something else there too, a look he can't place and it's bothering him. He's a little uncomfortable, not accustomed to being unable to get a read on her.

"First of all I wanted to know if you noticed and second, _she's a woman Bones._" His looks almost desperate for her to understand this simple comment but he doesn't get to continue because just as the words leave his lips Aija returns to the table with their drinks. She sets Booth's beer in front of him and places a mug, a small thermos of hot water and a shot glass in front of Temperance. There are slices of lemon and small containers of honey set around her mug and then the woman ceremoniously opens an ornate wooden box with rows of different types of tea inside. She presents the box to Temperance and smiles in a way Booth sees as seductively. As Temperance looks through the teas Aija runs her finger down the rows.

"They're arranged by strength so the lighter citrus teas start in the first row and the strong black teas end here." She gestures near the end row and Booth notes how her finger lightly brushes Temperance's hand. "Take several if you like." She is so focused on this tea ritual that she doesn't turn when Booth clears his throat. He watches Temperance carefully pick two packets and offer up a generous smile and a thank you to the waitress. Sitting there in the sun with her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright and her hair loosely framing her face she couldn't look more beautiful.

"Excuse me but can I get a lime for my beer?" He sounds a bit irritated and she glances briefly in his direction and nods before leaving the table.

"You're right I think she is flirting with me." Temperance doesn't sound very surprised.

"I told you so; she's way into watching you." He gives her a smug look and takes a drink of his beer.

"Does it bother you?" He sits up a little straighter and furrows his brow.

"No, no, I mean…I didn't think…no. No it doesn't bother me." He takes another drink, suddenly unable to quench his thirst. The lime is set next to him and he stops to push it into the bottle before taking another swallow.

"Does it arouse you?" He starts choking on the beer and his cheeks redden both from the coughing and getting caught. When he doesn't answer she puts her hand on his thigh and slides it up his leg. His hand quickly covers hers while he sets the beer down and tries to get a hold of himself.

"I'm aroused by you and maybe by the _idea_ of you and another woman but in reality I never want anyone else to touch you." He's speaking emphatically so it's out before he even fully realizes what he said.

"Never is a very long time Seeley." Her brow is arched and he feels the line of tension enter her body.

"Right now let's just say we have the possibility of a future." He squeezes her hands and watches her think about it, feels her hand relax in his.

"I do have one question for you though." He's smiling and she can tell he's up to something but she nods at him so he'll continue. "Did you ever…well, have you ever slept with a woman?" He's nervous asking and he's not sure why. It won't change who she is to him, he knows that but it is something he never even considered.

"No, but only because I've never met a woman that I was attracted to in that way, not because I think it's wrong. Homosexuality has been around as long as civilizations have existed. I don't think I have homosexual tendencies or I probably would have had sex with another woman by now." Now that he has the information he isn't sure what to do with it. He's taking another drink of beer when she continues. "Have you ever slept with a man?" He chokes. After several moments of coughing and spewing he catches his breath.

"Could you wait until I'm not in the middle of a drink to spring those questions on me? For the record, no, absolutely not and I never would. What was your term? Oh yeah, I'm certain that I don't have those tendencies and besides it's a sin." She's smiling now, entertained by his discomfort with the topic.

The waitress reappears and places their food in front of them, still smiling at Temperance and basically ignoring Booth. He can feel his erection tightening up again and decides that they need a change in subject before this situation spirals away from him. Debating a topic that has turned into a religious conversation is not how he wants this lunch to go.

"So, let's get back to our questionnaire. Why do you hate the sound of squealing tires?" Some of her answers he could guess the reasoning behind but there were a few he wants to hear from her.

It takes her a moment to answer and even then she's hesitant. "I think because that sound is always associated with something bad happening. The day Russ left he squealed away from the house. When people are angry they squeal out as they pull away and when there's an accident it's usually preceded by the same thing." She is looking at her food and actually takes a bite but it's obvious that her thoughts have slipped back to another time. He reaches over and takes her hand and she brings her gaze to him. The breeze lifts a strand of her hair and he suppresses the urge to take it in his fingers to indulge in the silky feel of it.

"Hey, last week my tires made that sound as we skidded into the parking space at my place but we were in a hurry for a very good reason." He wiggles his eyebrows at her and she can't help but laugh.

"Okay so there are a few circumstances when there are good things tied to the tire sound. Maybe if we do that more often I'll change my mind and that will become my favorite sound instead." That spark is back in her eyes and he wonders if it's an illusion of the sun or something that is truly new to him.

"Speaking of which, percolating coffee?" He lifts his brow, his expression gentle because just by the age of the term he knows this one goes way back for her.

"That's an easy one. I woke to that sound almost every day of my childhood. My parents loved percolated coffee and long after coffee makers they still used one. I can remember the rich smell when my mother and I would be at the grocery store and we would run the fresh beans through a grinder before sealing the bag to take them home. The smell of fresh brewed coffee and the sound of a percolator going will always remind me of mornings from my childhood." He was eating and watching her recall those happy moments with her family. It was good to see her smile at the memory, even if the underlying sadness was still evident. "This stew really is amazing, it was a great recommendation." He just throws her a smirk and continues eating.

"So Seeley, why is it you don't want to be a gynecologist?" She is genuinely interested in this answer; especially after he changed it from the ballet dancer that she was sure was just a joke anyway. He's blushing a bit now and pauses to draw down the last of his cool beer to try and ease the heat that seems to constantly press him when she's around.

"I thought dealing with women and their private parts all day long would take the magic and the mystery out of them. Since there have been times in my life that I have found solace and a few other things in women, I definitely didn't want that to happen. So a buddy and I made a pact that we would never pursue careers in any field related to women's medicine. Of course we were sixteen at the time but I stand by that pact." He gives her an almost shy look and she begins laughing.

"I don't know what I expected you to say but that wasn't it. Although now that I think about it I'm sure you're not the only man that thought over exposure to the vagina would ruin your sex life."

"Bones! Shhhh! That wasn't public information." He looks around, blushing as the waitress approaches and exchanges Temperance's small thermos of hot water for a new one.

"Do you need anything else right now? Another beer? More tea or brandy?" She asks about what they both want but is looking at Temperance again, only glancing at Booth. He looks directly at her and answers for both of them.

"Thanks, you can bring us both another round." He's grinning now and he and Temperance are looking only at each other.

They finish the last few bites of their meals and the drinks arrive. Temperance waits for the waitress to leave before resuming their conversation. Afraid that she's going to continue to talk about vaginas in public he lifts his hand just as she's about to speak.

"Let's move on to another question. What else did you want to know?" He sits back now, pushing his plate aside, stretching his legs out in front of him and holding his beer.

She loves when he sits like this, long and relaxed. She would like nothing more than to slide her leg over his thighs and press herself into him. She can almost hear the rasp of her jeans against his and she has to force herself back to the conversation.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that too much sex talk makes you uncomfortable Seeley. Why was your least favorite sound the click of your safety and not the sound of your gun firing?" Her eyes are bright with sincerity and he is still amazed at the irony of the two statements. How can any woman apologize for making him uncomfortable and then proceed to make him more uncomfortable and look so damn good while she's doing it that he isn't even mad? He thinks about her question but in reality it doesn't require him to think so much as remember.

"When I was in the military I had to take first aide and cpr as part of my course training. My first two assignments had been really rough and I was planning on quitting. I was beginning to think that I just didn't have it in me to be a sniper. I knew I would get sent to some maddeningly boring detail but at that point I just didn't care. I had one more job to do before I could get back and talk to my superior officer to ask for reassignment. I was on my way to a base camp when I got word that I was being rerouted to at an emergency medical unit for the night. We weren't far from heavy action; there was the sound of steady gunfire and heavy artillery in the distance. I walked into this med unit and it was complete mayhem. There were injured guys everywhere and people shouting. A doctor grabbed me and made me take over cpr while he attended to someone that was threatening to bleed out. I was scared to death but I kept doing it. I looked down so I didn't have to look around and I thought at first that the ground was made of a rich brown dirt. It took me a few minutes to realize that it was only that color because it was soaked with blood." He is staring at the label on his beer bottle as he speaks and although his face is blank, his voice is heavy with the weight of the memory.

"When the doctor returned he had me stop, he rolled the guy I was working on and the cot was filled with blood from a hole the size of my fist in his back. I immediately threw up in a bucket near the bed. The doc told me there was no saving him and he just laid the guy back down and had me follow him. I explained that I was just passing through and that I wasn't medical personnel but he said right then everyone breathing was medical personnel."

Seeley stopped and took a drink, his words gliding easily as though this memory had been rubbed smooth from years of handling. She didn't interrupt him, didn't want to ask any questions for fear of him snapping out of this place that was so important to him. She just waited until he was ready to continue.

"For 13 hours I worked in that tent until everything calmed down and the shooting stopped. I got two hours of sleep before I had to leave to set up and wait for my target. I went by to see the doctor before I left and I asked him how he managed to do this every day. He said you just learned to be immune, that everyone doing anything that was normally considered unimaginable just learns to be immune. He asked me where I was headed and when I said it was Special Forces, undisclosed location he looked at my rifle bag on my shoulder and knew what I was doing. He just nodded toward my rifle and repeated to me that we all have things that we're called to do that require us to shut down that part of us that's human. Because I mentally tied my assignment that day to the events in that tent it was the easiest shot I ever fired. I thought about that word immunity for a long time afterwards and when I laid in the sand that day waiting for my shot, I put my finger on the safety and released it. In my head I was shutting off that part of myself that was human with that switch. When I went back I never asked for the reassignment, I'd found a way to do what needed to be done." He sighs and blinks for a long second; putting down his bottle while he lets his thoughts settle.

Temperance takes his hand and when he looks at her he's surprised by the understanding that he sees there. He expected part of her to be horrified, to think that he was, at least on some level, a monster for being capable of that kind of killing. They sit in silence for a few minutes, comfortably relaxing with their own thoughts. Just as he's wondering what's going on in her head she speaks.

"It must have been hard to negotiate between the death you saw as wrong and the death you delivered that you were told was right. I imagine that your view of war is different than most men; your enemy wasn't without a face. For you it was personal, to find one human being and kill them is not the same as shooting on a battlefield. It takes courage to do what you did Booth, to seek someone out and pull the trigger because they're a threat on a larger scale. You had to see a bigger picture of war than most men. I'm sorry that it had to be you." She had been thinking about his military career since he first started to talk to her about it. She was glad in a way that this opportunity to tell him how she felt had presented itself. The last time she thought there were things she should have said but didn't know how.

He's a little overcome by her words and so he just sits still, blinking slowly to help him maintain control. He isn't looking for absolution; he's finding that for himself, but her understanding and acceptance of who he had to become touches him deeply. He's surprised when she continues.

"You know Seeley when I work a crime scene and I seem distant and cold to everyone, I've done just what you're describing. I shut down the part of me that cares so I can look objectively at the body and see the evidence left behind." She likes this connection between them, this similarity of function. It somehow makes her feel closer to him.

He wants to tell her that he thinks she learned to hit that switch inside herself after her parents left and only rarely turns it off but he's afraid she'll be hurt by it. Now that he knows the warm loving woman that lives within her it makes him sad that she stays hidden behind so many walls. He tips his head and squints into the sun. "I can see that in you Bones and your ability to be objective is one of the things that makes you so remarkable at your job." His face shifts and she can see the grin creeping up on him. "Let's talk about your other answer. My hands turn you on?" He extends his arm out in front of him and tilts up his hand, spreading his fingers and studying it.

Her cheeks have a nice glow but it could be the brandy or the fire or his question. Maybe it's a combination of all three, he just knows when she looks at him it takes his breath away.

Her voice is low when she speaks, her mind already traveling to all the places his hand so expertly goes. "It isn't the look of your hands Seeley; it's what you do with them. They literally turn me on so I thought it was appropriate." She's watching his hands now and he can see her features soften with desire. He knows she's thinking about some of the things his hands have done in the last few days. He rubs his thumb and index fingers together, mimicking the motion that he uses on her nipple and her eyes widen just a bit in understanding before she jerks up her head to look at him. Her cheeks are red but it's her eyes that give her away. She looks guilty as hell.

The cool air licks at her legs but the brandy and tea have done their job and she feels warm from somewhere in her center. Now with thoughts of Seeley's hands moving over her body, his fingers sliding in and out of her, she feels like she's on fire. She wants him and her body is already aching to have him. Her breasts feel heavy as she looks back to his fingers and she can feel the heat swirl and wind down between her legs.

He reaches over and cups her chin in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. She leans into his touch.

"Temperance." His voice is so low it's almost a whisper. There is nothing but heat between them now.

'What's on our schedule for after lunch?" She turns slightly after she asks the question and his thumb grazes over her lips. She opens her mouth just enough to suck gently on the tip of his thumb. Her tongue brushes across it lightly before she pulls out of his grasp and sits back in her chair.

His hand drops to his lap and he smiles at her, slow and seductive. "What would you like to do now?" He wants her to say it; he needs to hear her tell him that she wants him.

"I'd like to find the nearest place where we can be alone so you can show me just how good you are with those hands and I can show you how appreciative I am." She isn't even finished with her sentence and he's getting hard again. The ache of it causes him to shift in his seat from the discomfort. He's sure that it can't be good for a man to have an erection raised over and over again without relief. He takes out his wallet and tucks some bills into the check folder, his mind racing the entire time through possible places he can take her.

He grasps her hand and walks with her from the restaurant opening her car door and smiling like the proverbial cat that has swallowed the canary. They are on the road in a matter of moments with the silence in the air somehow thickening the sexual tension between them.

Temperance wonders how it can be like this with him. How can she want him again with such intensity when she had him only last night? Her body actually aches for him, responding in ways that it never has before with anyone else. It isn't just her body preparing for sex in the biological ways, those things she understands. It's how her body trembles in anticipation, how his touch trails heat across her skin and how she tingles from the inside in a very nonscientific way. She looks at him across the car with his eyes wide and the obvious bulge in his jeans and wants to ask him what else he feels. She's unsure of herself and its unfamiliar enough to make her nervous. Her throats dry and the glance between his legs has her mind wandering to how amazing it will feel to have him inside her. The car bounces as they hit the bump in the driveway of the F.B.I. building. Her low laughter fills the space between them and he turns and smiles at her as he parks the truck.

"Really Seeley, your place of work?" She tries to look surprised, arching her brow in question.

"Tell me you've never thought about it and I'll take you anywhere you want to go." She looks straight ahead, unable to answer him with a lie. Of course she's thought about it, between scenes in her books and her own healthy fantasies she's done more than just think about it. Her nipples tighten in response to her thoughts.

"I'll take your silence as an answer." He's smirking now, in that cocky way that makes her want to slap him and kiss him at the same time. He jumps out of the car and stands waiting until she joins him and they walk in together. He flashes his identification to security and punches in a code on an elevator that she has never been in before.

"Where are we going? This isn't the way to your office." He leans against the wall of the elevator, his smile triumphant.

"Bones, the door to my office is glass and that entire side of the building is covered in video monitors."

"You're taking me to the part of the building where the illegal activities take place?" Actually the idea appeals to her a little bit.

"Hey, no one said anything about any _illegal_ happenings. That isn't how this part of the building is used." His eyes are wide as a result of her implications.

"Then why is it off camera? Every one knows that things that are done off camera are arranged that way so there isn't any proof of what happened."

The door opens and they step out into a long hallway with very busy green and black carpeting and no signs or numbers on the doors. "This is used for important guests that we meet with or need to hide while getting their testimony. There is nothing illegal about what goes on here." His tone has turned a little defensive and she understands his need to defend this place even though he knows that everything that happens here is not exactly ethical.

"What we're about to do is illegal." He looks over at her with his brow creased in confusion. "Well, what I have in mind is technically illegal but we might not have time for that right now." He stops abruptly and grabs her hand, pulling her against him. His mouth covers hers before she can catch her breath. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss and strokes his tongue hungrily against hers. He walks her against the wall and breaks the kiss long enough to punch some numbers into a keypad next to the door. She jumps when the buzzer sounds, allowing them to slip inside.

She pulls away from him to look around for a moment. The room could be a study in a large home. The walls and shelves are a rich mahogany and two walls are almost covered in books. There's a large table and to one side leather sofas with small tables scattered around. It's the little signs of technology that give away the kind of secrets that are kept here. There is a box along the top of one wall that she bets has maps and a pull down screen. Outlets and speaker phone units are built discreetly into the décor but their abundance speaks to the large number of people that have gathered in this room at one time. She can almost see them spread out and discussing, laptops and phones humming, debates weaving amongst them. He slides the dimmer switch to bring the lights down and shuts the ones over the table off completely. The room's soft glow feels like dusk and contrasts in mood with the strong masculine décor. She's impressed that he has the code to such a room and wonders briefly what business has brought him here in the past.

His hands slide around her waist and he presses against her back. She can feel his erection against her ass and smiles, knowing that while she was distracted by the room, he was distracted by her. His fingers inch under the edge of her sweater seeking the warmth of her skin. He nuzzles his face between the neck of her sweater and her flesh and inhales deeply before kissing his way to her ear. One of his hands slides between her legs and cups her firmly. She rocks against him, pushing her body into his hand and then back into his hips. He's cupping her breast, his thumb grazing over the tight nipple in light strokes. She is wriggling in his arms, following the movements of his hands, trying to illicit more pressure. As his lips begin to suck on the spot just below her ear she realizes he is trying to drive her insane and it's working. Her pleasure divides and her attention darts from one sensation to the next increasing with every shift. She can't focus her thoughts or form words even though she's sure there is something she should be saying. She decides to take matters into her own hands. She reaches behind her and strokes him boldly through his jeans and he freezes for a second, then trembles along his thighs as he pushes into her palm.

His hand tightens between her legs and he feels her shift, spreading her legs a little wider to anchor herself as she rocks harder onto his clenching fingers. An ache shudders to life deep within her and the urge to have him inside her is overwhelming. Her moan slices through the silence and her hips jerk hard. She squeezes him and pumps her hand along his shaft. His lips pull from her skin and when he cries out his hot breath bursts against her.

She suddenly moves out of his grasp and tugs at his hand to follow her. It takes him a second before he lets her lead him across the room to a large overstuffed chair in the corner. She pushes on the back, testing how far it rocks before shoving it further into the corner. Booth smiles in amusement when he realizes she's making sure they won't tip over in it. She stands him in front of it and gives his chest a gentle shove and he sits with a heavy plop, sinking a little into the soft leather. She slides onto his lap, grinding herself against his erection as she settles herself. She places her hands on either side of his head and leans into him effectively tipping the chair back and driving his hips up into hers. She hears him gasp lightly from the impact of their bodies as the images of how this is going to work flood his brain. His hands push their way up under her sweater and tank top, cupping the weight of her breasts into his palms. She moans as his fingers slide over the satiny material and pinch at her nipples. She shifts her weight back and the chair tips forward once again. She smiles as she leans in to kiss him, the scent of the leather and lemon polish mixing with his cologne as she breathes.

This room feels powerful and the heavy masculine décor somehow makes her feel more feminine. She rocks the chair a few times and he groans as she pulses against him. She could cum like this with his hand on her hip and her bra, without even the contact of flesh. She could keep rocking and cum at the sound of him saying her name. This desire is so pure, so strong and unfiltered she thinks of drinking sweet sticky sap from a tree in the damp early days of Spring. It's almost too much and still desperately not enough.

His hand slips inside her bra and scoops her breast out into his moving fingers. Her thighs tighten against his and she can feel the moisture between her legs dampening her underwear. When he slips his hand inside her folds her body will be a slick invitation to his fingers. She shoves his coat away from his chest, lifting his shirt and placing her hot mouth over his nipple. She hears him gasp and then freeze. It takes her a second to catch the ringing of his phone. It must be working; they didn't stop to replace it this morning as they had planned. She lifts her head and looks at him and after a second they smile simultaneously.

"Answer it, it could be important." She sits up but keeps her hands on his abdomen under the edge of the sweater and rocks the chair gently underneath them. He sees the number for the Jeffersonian on the caller i.d. and scrunches his brow in confusion as he snaps open the phone.

"Booth." There's a pause before the caller speaks as though they didn't really expect anyone to answer.

"Seeley, you're certainly a hard man to get a hold of these days. Where have you been?" Temperance feels him tense for just a second before answering and she's surprised after how hostile Cam sounded when talking to her that she would be almost purring to Seeley.

"Cam, I'm working but my cell phone was doing this scrambling thing since yesterday and my powers out at the apartment. Why have you been trying to reach me?" He tightens his lips against a gasp as Temperance's mouth reaches his neck and begins sucking the cord of flesh that comes up just behind his ear.

"Well at first I was looking for the reports on yesterday's case and then I was just hoping to see you this weekend." He stifles a moan as Temperance swirls her tongue over his skin.

"I thought Bones was dropping the reports off to you yesterday. Didn't you get them?" He tries to sound as professional as possible but maintaining is becoming difficult. He suppresses the urge to nudge Temperance away from his neck but in truth he doesn't want her to stop. Ever.

"Yes actually I did end up getting the reports; apparently Dr. Brennan brought them by at some point. As a matter of fact when I spoke to her she said you were going out of town this weekend." She hopes she sounds casual as she mentions it.

"Oh, that's because when Bones dropped me off on Friday I did tell her I was going to be out of town but my plans changed." He quickly covers the mouth piece with his finger as Temperance begins to nip a line up to his earlobe. He is starting to worry that if she keeps doing these amazing things with her mouth and rocking over him the way she is he's going to cum before his pants are even undone.

"So if your plans changed you should be free tonight. How about we get together later? If your power is still off you can just come to my place."

Temperance has moved her hands to his jeans and is unbuttoning them as he tries to speak.

"First of all I said my plans changed, not that I didn't have any. Besides that, I wanted to do this in person but since you're asking I want you to know now. We can't get together like that anymore, I'm seeing someone."

"You're seeing someone and it's serious enough that you're not seeing anyone else? Come on Seeley, how long have you been seeing her? We just went out a few weeks ago." She's trying to keep her voice steady.

"I've been seeing her long enough to know that I want to see _only_ her." He bites into his lip and then coughs lightly to cover the sound as Temperance lowers his zipper.

"Monogamy after such a short time? She must be special. Is she anyone I know?" She's trying to maintain her light tone but his voice sounds strange to her and she feels something isn't right.

At that moment Temperance wraps her hand around him, stroking the length of him firmly and robbing him of the ability to think.

"She is special." His eyes have closed and his hand has moved to her waist where he's trying to get the button of her jeans open with one hand. "Look Cam, I have to go I have a lot of work to do here and I have to be somewhere later." He can't concentrate well enough to form a more detailed lie.

"Well let's have dinner tomorrow then Seeley, we can still be friends even if we don't have the benefits anymore." Temperance pulls his hand off of her jeans and slides to the floor between his legs. His eyes open wide as the chair rocks from the loss of her weight. She looks up at him with her eyes bright with desire and a wicked grin on her face.

"I don't think that's a good idea right now. I really do have to go but I'm sure I'll see you Monday at work." As the heat of her mouth closes over the head of him and low groan trembles out of his chest.

"Are you okay Seeley? You sound like you don't feel well." She can't get a read on him but he definitely sounds like something is wrong.

"Fine, I'm great, I just have to go, bye Cam." He snaps the phone shut before there can be any further conversation and it's just as her lips tighten around him and slide down. He moans loudly now while he watches his dick disappear between her lips and feels her throat suck at the end of it. He clutches the arms of the chair in a vain attempt to keep himself grounded.

The pleasure is rushing through him with frightening force as she pulses over him in a tight rhythm. Just as he thinks he's going to cum she eases her lips up and off of him. She stands up between his legs but as she's reaching for her pants he pushes her hands away and peels down her jeans and underwear in one smooth motion. She grabs his arm for a second and toes out of her boots as she pulls her legs from the tangle of clothing. His hand is between her legs even before she places her foot back down, his fingers dragging through her folds. She spreads her legs further apart and he plunges his fingers into her wet heat. She leans forward gasping and grasping his shoulders to keep from falling. He stokes her just a few times before pulling out of her. She groans a low protest and is about to say something to him when he lifts her by the hips and pulls her up over his lap. She reaches between them and gently holds him as he eases her down. He holds his breath as he watches himself disappear inside her. Her thighs are trembling as they spread over him and the erotic image immediately fills him with a burning need to thrust.

This moment as he fills her takes her breath away and she blinks slowly while her body shakes with anticipation and desire. Once she settles against him he reaches out and pulls her sweater over her head and then pushes under her tank top and unhooks her bra. She smiles as his hands caress her, the weight of her breasts filling his palms. She places her hands next to his head and leans down to kiss him as she tips the chair back. She deepens the kiss and rocks the chair causing him to slowly slide in and out of her. When she has the rhythm and angle right she picks up speed, crying out as he tightens his grip on her nipples. He moves one hand to her hip and slides his lips down her neck. She's hot and tight, her body gripping him as he plunges into her. She drops her hips hard against him as they move and whimpers as his thumb inches down and presses on her clit. Her orgasm slams into her, rupturing from somewhere deep in her center, throwing her forward. She cries out his name and presses into him, the chair slamming into the wall with the force of it. He's coming before he can catch his breath, her body seizing around him. He moves both hands to her hips and arches as hard as he can up into the deepest part of her. Then he does it again, and again and again until the blinding surge within him subsides.

He pulls her heaving body tightly to his chest, her skin is damp beneath his arms. They're both breathing hard, the chair gently rocking now. Temperance squeezes her eyes closed and tucks her face into his neck as she fights the threat of tears that she doesn't understand. Fear flutters in her belly where desire raged just a moment before and she tries to push it down. Her chest aches with emotions that bloom and expand within her. She takes in a shaky deep breath and realizes that loving him this much still terrifies her. She's clutching his sweater, her fingertips pressing into his skin. He loosens his hold when he feels her grip relax and tips his head to the side so he can look at her.

He kisses her forehead gently and sighs against her skin. "Hey, are you okay?"

She nods her head yes, not yet trusting her voice and they sit for a few more moments until she feels calmer. Her body is still twitching and she can feel him still tucked inside her. She clenches her muscles hard and feels the low rumble of his laughter vibrate beneath her. She lifts her head and kisses him softly then glances up and bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny?" His eyes sparkle just looking at her because he's pretty sure this is how she looks when she's genuinely happy.

She nods behind him as she speaks and he turns to look in response. "I thought I felt the earth move." Seeley lifts a little and sees the two large holes in the wall from the corners of the chair, dry wall dust and bits of paint still cling to the leather.

"Shit. We should probably go. She starts to ease off of his lap when his hand slides into her hair and pulls her close for a kiss. "For the record, we may have broken the wall but I felt the earth move too."


	17. Chapter 17

"Seeley, where are we going now

Bathing Beauty Chapter 17

**Warning: Sexually explicit material, mature readers only.**

A/N: Yes, yes, yes…I'm back to this story so buckle your seat belts and lets continue this ride. Thanks to everyone for reading (and being patient and loyal to this little tale!) and as always, your comments and opinions are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

Hey, Bones fans this story is also posted at my dear friend Pereybere's new site at www dot bonesfiction dot com. (hope this format allows it to show! Lol!) Check it out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or any of its characters although I love the opportunity to play with them.

"Seeley, where are we going now?" They walk out of the FBI building trying to act casual after damaging the wall in one of the private conference rooms having sex in a recliner. Seeley can hardly think. He knows it will be weeks before anyone notices the wall since that particular room isn't used that often. Still he has a twinge of guilt over having technically damaged government property. He has another twinge that has nothing to do with guilt when the image of her above him in the recliner flashes through his head.

"I thought we'd go back to your place and I'd let you write for a couple of hours. I did promise that you would get some writing time and that way I can go and pick up some of my guns so we can go to the range before dinner." She's suddenly disappointed to have their time together ending, even if he's coming back and it's only an interruption. She's been having fun. It sounds strange to her to even think it. "Hey if you need more time than that I can give it to you. How much time do you usually need when you sit down to get some writing done?"

She realizes he thinks her expression was about her writing time. "It depends on what part of the book I'm writing. The beginning usually goes smoothly so I can get a lot done in an hour or two. The middle of the book takes longer because I have to go back and make sure I know where I left each character, what they were doing and wearing. It's important that I pick back up exactly where I left off so there are no strange gaps. Setting up to continue at that point and research over details make the middle more time consuming. The end of a book always comes quickly because I've had it written in my head since before I started the first chapter. If it's a rewrite from my editor it takes hours because by the time I get them I have to review all my notes. I'm usually well into my next book by the time rewrites are sent over. The publishing business is much lengthier than people realize." He's pleasantly surprised by the information. It occurs to him that this is the most she has ever told him about her writing process.

"So, where are you in this book?" He lifts his brow in question at her.

"I'm near the beginning so it should flow rather easily. I can get a lot done in a one to two hour stint at my computer." The question he hasn't asked is if she wants to write. She isn't even sure herself. Normally she really craves a few quiet hours to get lost in her work and he's doing what she asked of him. He's trying to give her enough space to feel like she's still getting her own things accomplished.

"You can just shift gears like that? Anytime? You can just sit down and decide it's time to write and start working on your book? Don't you ever sit down and find you just can't come up with any words? You know, like writers block." They're in the car now but even though he has it started so the heat is on, they have yet to go anywhere.

"That's a difficult question to answer because there isn't any clear cut formula to writing. Sometimes I can't write because I'm tired and other times I can really produce when I haven't had sleep. The same is true for stress, some times it works for me and other times it works against me. I think every writer wishes they had some formula that would allow them to be successful every time they sit down at the keyboard. Most of us have some list of activities or rituals that we do when we get stuck to help us focus. Historically many writers have had some form of addiction that helped them to navigate through the craziness in their head."

"Are you trying to tell me that you're a closet drinker?" She pauses a moment before laughing and he realizes that it took her that long to see that he was joking.

"No, I don't understand people that can write when they're drunk or high."

"So what do you do when you have an empty page in front of you and nothing comes to you? What's your list of activities that you do to get past your writers block?"

"Well, I do whatever I can to resolve the issue that keeps me from being able to focus. If I'm tired, I sleep. If I'm stressed, I do yoga. If I'm really upset about a case, I go work out. If I'm frustrated, I masturbate. You get the idea; it's a matter of either funneling the feelings into energy to write or getting them out of the way, which ever works. It's rare that I can't write at all but if that happens there are a couple of exercises I do to help." Her cheeks have flushed pink and her eyes have left his in a nervous glance he has come to know well. His thoughts are back at the word masturbate because despite her casual delivery his brain went right to visuals.

"So, are you okay with this plan? You get some writing done and I run a couple of errands and then meet you back at your apartment for the gun range and dinner and whatever else it is you have planned." She doesn't turn to look at him but her voice is lighter, more accepting.

"Yes, it's a great plan; my editor has been prompting me for chapters for the last couple of weeks. Should I bring my gun for the range?"

"That's not a gun; it's a hand cannon so let's leave it home this time. I have several lighter guns that you should be comfortable handling. We can go to the test range so we can use one of the qualifying rooms. I like the privacy there. Some of the people you run into at the public range are just scary." She has a small smile now and is looking to the front. He recognizes that she is sliding out of whatever frustrating thought process had her pinned just a moment ago.

"Hey, I go to the public range all the time." Now she flashes an offended look in his direction.

"I'm not talking about you Bones, I'm talking about the skinny guy missing two teeth that is shaking just a tiny bit and looking like he came off a three day bender and hasn't showered yet. He scares me with a gun. You just make me nervous." He can't help it, he laughs.

"You'll pay for that Seeley Booth you know I'm a good shot." She's smiling now and looks at him in that way that makes his knees feel weak. He decides not to mention to her all the ways he would love for her to make him pay. They pull into her parking complex and he sighs heavily. He really doesn't want to leave her.

He leans over and kisses her, meaning for it to be a parting gesture but when she slides her hand up his thigh and slips her tongue between his lips it changes. He tilts his head and pulls her closer to him. He feels the movement of her as she unsnaps the seatbelt and frees herself of the restraint. Then she's there, fully against him and he can hardly think at all. Her hand curls around his neck and her fingers sink into his hair as she holds him to her. She wants to take some part of him with her but when she breaks the kiss she chastises herself for thinking like a teen aged girl. He'll be back in a couple of hours.

"Are you coming up for a few minutes?" Her breath is coming a little short as she speaks.

"If I do I won't leave and as amazing as that sounds I don't want to crowd you. I'm going to hold you to the time frame though. I'll be back in two hours so accomplish what you can because after that you're mine again for the rest of the night." She doesn't mind the boldness of his words because it takes the edge off his leaving to hear him claim her for the rest of the night. She wonders when this possessive archaic ownership conversation became attractive to her. What the hell is happening to her? She kisses him again and this time his hand cups her breast and she moans into his throat. After a moment she pulls away from him and slides back to get out of the car. As she opens the door he grabs her shoulder.

"I love you; I'll see you in a little while." She's momentarily immobilized with even the sound of the words. Her heart is pounding as she turns to look at him. His face doesn't hold any expectations, just pure emotion.

"I love you too." It's almost a whisper but she manages to give it to him, maybe because nothing about him was asking for it. She reaches up and squeezes his hand before stepping out of the truck and disappearing quickly from his sight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Seeley actually has a lot to accomplish in the next two hours. He wants to surprise her with something Monday when she returns to work. He's had the perfect gift idea, especially since they're keeping their relationship under wraps for the time being. He wonders if he can have it delivered to her at the Jeffersonian by Monday. Grinning he snaps open his phone and gets to work.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Temperance sheds her coat and bag and looks around her for nothing in particular. Her living room seems bigger to her today although she knows that's not possible because it's exactly the same size as it has been every other day. She shakes her head and decides this love thing has just caught her so off guard she's acting strange. She makes herself a cup of tea and goes to her study. After opening her laptop and making herself comfortable she reads a little to get herself oriented with her place in the story. Her fingertips lightly graze over the keyboard as her thoughts circle the place that she ended.

Ten minutes later she's still sitting there with her hands now tucked under her chin. There are no words on the page and this fascinates and frightens her. If she believed in psychology she may consider that it was the power of suggestion. Seeley had to bring up writers block. She considers it a type of phantom condition, believing that writing is mostly about good discipline. As she stares at the screen she wonders if she's just been lucky all this time with how easily her words have come to her. She reads the last few lines again and although she knows the direction of the chapter she isn't able to pick up the mental flow. Of course that's because all her thoughts are flowing in a different direction.

For some reason she keeps seeing him in her head the way he looked against the sky. Maybe it was the blush the cold air brought to his cheeks or the relaxed way he stood and smiled. She couldn't trace her motivation to just one of the mornings attributes, all she is sure of is that she keeps thinking of him and not her writing. She's uncomfortable with her own inability to concentrate and it causes her to feel anxious. She gets up and paces the short length of the room and thinks about how she can get her focus back. She decides on a shower, it'll help her relax and she'll still have over an hour to work. Smiling she heads to the bathroom.

Temperance starts the shower and begins to undress. As she pulls her sweater over her head she catches a scent she knows is Seeley. She resists the urge to bring the sweater back up so she can breathe the scent in again. She shakes her head and strips off the rest of her clothes and gets into the shower. She closes her eyes and does some deep breathing as the hot water pours over her. She lets the heat seep into her and immediately begins to feel herself relax. Encouraged, she finishes her shower, pausing occasionally to bask in the heat of it. After getting dressed and drying her hair she heads back to the computer, feeling optimistic.

Once again seated at her keyboard with a cup of hot tea beside her she stares at the screen. She types a few sentences to try and jump start writing but it only serves to give her a few lines without any real direction. Feeling restless within her own thoughts and on the brink of being able to pull it all together she decides to do an exercise. She puts her hands on the keys and then closes her eyes. As fast as she can, without thinking she begins to type whatever pops into her head. It takes her a moment to relax into it but after she's sure she has dumped at least a page worth of thoughts, she stops. She prints the page without looking at it and begins writing. Clearing out some of her other thoughts works like magic and she's typing away in no time.

Forty minutes later she takes a break, satisfied by having gotten herself back on track. She saves her work and marks it to edit later. Seeley's going to be back soon and she needs to get ready. She pulls the two pages off the printer from earlier and turns them over. At first she's amused by her own ramblings. She's jumping around from thoughts on work to her own mental "to do" list. Then she began reading about Seeley although she didn't actually name him she had known where her thoughts had gone. She blushes as she reads some of the lines and laughs as she reads others. She remembers less of what she wrote near the end of the page because by then she was deep into the natural existentialist flow of the exercise. It's the last phrase that catches her attention. On the top of page two the final three words read, Mrs. Seeley Booth.

Temperance freezes. She has no affiliation with the status of marriage. She has no desire to be owned in the eyes of society by a tradition that began as a way for men to claim their women as property. The government license, the religious sacrament, the legal and tax implication all mean nothing to her beyond their anthropological applications. It all brings her to three words of her own, what the fuck? She does NOT have any desire to be married and she hates psychology so the whole situation just irritates her almost beyond words. She feeds the sheets into the shredder next to her desk and feels just a skosh of satisfaction. What came of the stream of consciousness exercise was obviously garbage that her head needed to regurgitate. It had no relevance to her thoughts or her life at all.

She shuts her office door as she leaves as though containing the distasteful incident to that one area and goes about getting ready. She's just finished a light make up job and is headed out of the bathroom when she hears him knock. Her smile is spontaneous as she opens the door.

He slides his hand into her hair and kisses her without hesitation. When he pulls away she's smiling with her face flushed and her eyes bright. He brings his hand from her hair and cocks his head to the side.

"You took a shower." It's a statement more than a question.

"Oh, yes, my hair is still damp. I wanted to relax a little before writing." He would've known anyway from the amazing scent of her. A grin slowly creeps across his face.

"So did the shower work or did you have to do _other activities_ to help?" She's staring at him for a moment before his reference hits her and he swears the color in her cheeks deepens.

"Not that it's really any of your concern but no I didn't masturbate if that's what you're asking." She knows. She knows blunt sexual conversations fluster him completely so she just chuckles when his only response is an opening and closing of his mouth without sound. She kisses him softly on the cheek and moves away to get her things. "Besides, if I had that kind of tension I could have just waited for you."

He's hard. The images, her voice, her scent and proximity have all had their tremendous effect on him. He watches her move, amazed at how graceful she is when she's relaxed. He's used to her powerful steps and precision movements that are driven with purpose while she's at work. He finds this relaxed version of her incredibly sexy. Too late he focuses on the fact she's looking at him and she clearly catches his expression. Her eyebrow lifts and her gaze drops to the bulge tightening the front of his jeans.

She steps closer and places her hand against the heat of his erection and a low moan escapes him. "Hmmm, it looks like you built up some tension while you were gone. Did you get your errands done?"

His mind struggles to focus on her words. Errands? Oh yeah, he ran his errands and everything went very smoothly. "Yes, um yes, I got everything done. How did your writing go?" He can hardly think with her hand between his legs and her fingers moving over him. She stops suddenly and he stares at her in shock at her abrupt change in mood.

"We should be going. We have time booked at the range don't we?" She turns quickly away from him and is heading to the door when he grabs her arm and gently turns her around.

"Woah, just a minute. What's going on with you?" His eyes find hers and he can see the turbulence in them.

"Nothing, I'm fine. I just thought we had to go." She glances away from him and he knows there's more.

"Temperance, did something happen while I was gone? You seem upset. Did you need more time to write?" His concern softens her.

"No, actually once I started I was productive enough. I did have some trouble settling down and getting my focus though." Her eyes shift to the side and he knows he's close to the problem.

"Once you got started did I interrupt you? Did you feel like you needed more time?" He squints at her just a little and she knows this is the look he gets when he's trying to work his way through a puzzling situation.

"Seeley, let's drop it. I'm fine, I really am. I didn't need any more time, my work can just be frustrating sometimes and that's all." Her voice has an undertone of pleading to it and he decides not to push her. Whatever left her so uncomfortable she'll discuss it with him when she's ready. If he's learned one thing about her over the years it's that when she's pressured she reacts by digging her heels in and not giving an inch. He certainly doesn't want to mess this up by turning into some kind of worrying hound.

"Okay, consider it dropped. We should get going if we're going to make our time. I had them book us in a training and qualifying room so we have a two lane range to ourselves." He can see her shoulders dip as she relaxes and sighs softly, obviously relieved at the change in conversation.

"So how many guns did you bring?" Her smile appears as they leave and behind her he shakes his head.

"Four and if you're nice to me I'll let you try them all." She laughs and speaks to him over her shoulder.

"I think I've been very nice to you in the last few days." Her voice is practically purring and he blushes once again. If she keeps popping up with these sexual statements he's never going to be able to keep his pants from popping up in response to her.

He opens the car door and gives her his best grin. "Well I can't really argue with that."

She rolls her eyes, "finally, something that you can't argue over with me. Maybe we should talk about sex all the time." He closes her door and laughs as he walks around the vehicle thinking about how sure he is that she will eventually be the death of him.

Once at the range she sees him hand his badge, I.D. and an envelope to the man behind the counter. The guy looks shifty even to her so she wonders what he's doing in a government managed facility. He shakes Seeley's hand and she realizes that they're friends on some level. Seeley nods in her direction and she walks over to him.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan this is Patrick O'Shey." They shake hands briefly and now that she's closer the word that comes into her mind is cad. He has the kind of dark good look that teeter between slippery and sexy.

"It's nice to meet you." She smiles politely and he flashes an impressive dimpled grin that makes him look painfully charming. She has a feeling he gets through a lot in life with that smile.

"It's nice to meet you too. Seeley has mentioned you a few times but you don't do your photos justice."

"Seeley has shown you photos of me?" Her surprise is apparent.

He laughs and notes the tone of her voice. "No, no, your books. I've seen your photo inside the cover of your books but as a famous author and legendary anthropologist surely you know that people are aware of who you are?" He tilts his head and a dark lock falls across his forehead.

"No actually I'm not aware of any such thing. I am however, certain that you are the only person I've ever met that has referred to me as legendary. I'm not sure whether to be complimented by the fame aspect of the term or be insulted by the fictional implication." She doesn't break a smile, just looks at him with that curious expression she wears when confronted with something unfamiliar.

"Trust me when I tell you my intention was purely complimentary." The smile shows again and she feels Booth's hand slide around her waist in a move that feels both protective and territorial.

"Okay Patrick, reel it in." Booth's voice is casual but she can feel him shift beside her.

"Well Booth you of all people can't blame me. She's a very beautiful woman." He's speaking to Seeley but looking directly at her. Something about the way he speaks makes her feel like he's toying with her and she doesn't like it.

"Seeley I guess that makes you one very lucky man." With those words she takes Seeley's hand and turns toward the door to the ranges. She can't see the surprised expression on his face. Normally she would never engage in a struggle between two men that she feels is based solely on ego but being referred to in the third person when she was standing right there put her over the edge.

Behind them she hears Patrick whistle before he comments. "Touché Dr. Brennan."

Seeley isn't completely sure what happened but he knows this would not be the time to tell her how he thinks that Patrick is really a good guy. He just takes a little getting used to before you understand him. They pass into a long hall and walk down to the last door. He unlocks it with a key attached to an F.B.I. emblem and holds the heavy door for her to enter. Once inside he sets his duffle bag on the small table to the left and begins unpacking. He hands her a headset to protect her ears and puts on one of his own. He's in business mode as he prepares the guns. He loads a nice stainless steel 357 revolver for her and then fills several clips for the 9mm guns. She watches his hands move quickly through the process, his thumb calloused from the repetitive motion of loading clips. She blushes a little as she recalls the moment she first noticed the heavy callous on that thumb. He was using it to caress her breast at the time. It had caused a chill of arousal to rush across her skin and tighten her nipples just as the memory is doing now.

When he's finished loading he sets the guns in a row, pointing away from them. He notes the shine to her eyes and chuckles to himself. She's a bit of a gun junkie and in any other woman he would find it frightening. In her he finds it disturbingly sexy. He stops to consider the possibility that he finds everything about her sexy and ends up laughing at himself.

"What is so funny?" He does what he has recently learned to do when he doesn't have an answer for her, he kisses her.

"Nothing really. I was just laughing at myself." He turns to the lanes and presses a button that moves the floating targets to different distances and hands Temperance the revolver. She tests the weight of it in her hand and he's impressed with her willingness to take her time. When she sights the target he observes her stance, although she's a little stiff, she has it right. Her shots ring out in a steady thundering blast. He should have loaded her gun with recycled 38's, it wouldn't have been so loud. She squints at her target where her marks are closely clustered at the center and an amazing smile graces her lips.

"Not bad Bones, not bad." She rolls her eyes and turns to the table to reload.

"If you think you can do better maybe we should put a little wager on it." Her eyes are lit with amusement when she turns to look at him. She has no idea that at this moment he would give her anything for making him feel this good.

"What did you have in mind?" His words are slow and his voice has dropped so she can barely hear him through her head set.

"The winner gets to have a sexual fantasy fulfilled and the loser has to tell at least three people that know us both that the other one is a better shot." He can't help it, he bursts out laughing.

"You have a bet. We'll do the best total shots out of three rounds of 8 shots. You can use the gun of your choice and shoot in any style you like." He's still chuckling as she walks over and looks at the available guns. After lifting and examining them all she returns to the revolver knowing that it won't jam on her. He feels his balls tighten and an erection begin as he thinks about winning a sexual fantasy from her. Hell, he'd gladly tell everyone he knew she was a better shot as long as he still got to collect on the rest of the wager. He motions her toward the counter. "Ladies first."

She widens her stance by just a half step and takes a few deep breaths to calm and center herself. She lines up the target in her sight and squeezes off the first two rounds. Both of them hit perfectly inside the dark bulls eye circle. She rocks a second on her feet but doesn't move them as she shoots off two more. Her third shot hits inside the ring but the fourth splits the edge.

"Shit!" She flexes her shoulder and relaxes back into position then suddenly fires off the last four shots. Two are inside, another sits on the border and one is clearly in the second ring. It's a great cluster for anyone but she's not happy. She wanted them all inside. He can tell by the way her spine has become rigid that he should give her a moment. She turns to the table and snaps open the cylinder, drops the shells into a can and efficiently reloads the gun. Pressing the safety she sets the gun down and turns to him. "Okay, you're up next."

Seeley pulls his gun and lets it dangle loosely from his hand down at his side. He turns away from the target in the second lane and hones his mental focus. In a flash of movement he spins and lifts his arm, firing off eight shots without a second's hesitation. The first exploding sound makes her jump and she thinks she can feel the vibration from the force of it in the air. In the echoing silence that follows all she hears is the tinkling of metal as his expelled casings bounce and roll on the grey painted concrete floor. A wisp of smoke trails off the back of his gun and she watches his body adjust and relax as he turns toward her.

She turns immediately to look at his target. She's trying to focus but the rush of wetness between her legs from watching him has her off kilter. She didn't expect to be so aroused but he was so graceful and powerful in that moment that it just overwhelmed her. She feels him behind her.

"Well Bones it looks like I took that round." She knows he's smiling but she can't turn because she can feel the heat pouring off her neck and breast. The target is clean, all eight shots having drilled the center circle. She crosses her arms to stall the shiver that is spreading from the base of her spine.

"It's not over yet." It comes out softer than she intended and she clears her throat as she moves to pick up her gun. She closes her eyes and tries desperately to take a deep breath. The scent of cordite is thick in the air prompting the memory of how he looked. She opens her eyes again and stares at the target. She slips the safety and sets her stance, fighting the urge to press her thighs together instead. She fires off the first two and both of them are in the second ring and to the left of the target. Still determined she shoots off the next six without stopping. Four hit the center and two straddle the right side of the line. She doesn't comment this time and he assumes she's upset as she reloads and replaces her gun.

She turns in time to see him add some bullets to his clip before dropping the gun to dangle at his side once again. She realizes that she's holding her breath and parts her lips to softly exhale in the stillness. She hasn't taken her eyes off him, knowing now how fast he moves she doesn't want to miss it. The heat trickles into her belly in anticipation of his movement but she still jumps when he spins and the blasts thunder through the room, through her bones. She took more of it in this time. Her body trembles. She wishes that she had some way to capture the moment in some tangible way. Not only the moment but how it makes her feel. She doesn't consider herself as a creative person despite her writing but she knows that it's witnessing something like this that feeds an artist's inspiration. Of course right now it's also feeding something else. She steps back and feels the slippery wetness between her legs. Her nipples are hard points pressing into the silky material of her bra.

Seeley has reloaded his clip and set his gun down. He placed seven of his eight shots in the center and one at the edge. She knew he was good but his accuracy is astonishing. She'll have to make her next eight shots and he'll have to miss all of his for her to win this thing. She doesn't even care. Her thoughts are focused on getting his hands on her. She pulls her pride together and lifts her gun. She's surprised that he isn't badgering her about how he's winning, unless he's waiting until it's over. She takes her stance and fires her first shot, hitting the border and effectively making it impossible for her to beat him. She sighs heavily and drops her head when she hears his voice against her ear.

"Can I give you a pointer?" He doesn't want to offend her but he knows what would help. Her first instinct is to say no but she is filled with the scent of him as she inhales and the warmth of him presses lightly against her back.

"Yes." Her voice betrays her with its softness. He presses himself more fully against the back of her, sliding his knee between her legs and nudging her left leg out just a couple of inches.

"You tend to shift your center of gravity a little to the right which makes your hand turn just slightly to compensate. It leaves your hand just a little unsteady because you pull to one side to correct it. It's easier to correct it from the foundation, by moving the left foot out a little your balance shifts back to the center and your shot should be straighter." His dick is already rock hard behind her. He hears her sigh heavily and wonders if he has frustrated her with his correction. She sets her gun down but doesn't move away from him. Instead her hand comes back and takes his and brings it around to the front of her. She presses herself against him and a small sound escapes her lips.

He's confused when she puts down the gun and it takes him a second more to catch up when she leans against him and brings his hand to the front of her. He thinks she's going to have him steady her when she shoots. He thinks she's torturing him because she can feel his erection nudging her. When he feels her guide his hand under the edge of her sweater to the smooth skin of her abdomen he gasps. His breath is now hot against her ear and neck and the quick rise of his chest prompts her to continue. He feels her other hand brush against his knuckles as he absorbs the sound of her zipper going down. He tips his hips into her and a low moan strains from her chest. She guides his hand down into her underwear and pushes his fingers between her folds. The burning slick heat of her gathers around his fingers as the silky wet material of her underwear clings to the back of his hand.

"Jesus Christ Temperance." The words hiss from his lips in surprise. She eases her hand back up his arm and lets him take over. His other hand moves under her sweater from the other side and comes up to cup her breast. Even through her bra he can feel the hard pebble of her nipple tight with arousal in his palm. He pinches the bud and her cry echoes through the room, her hips jerk back into him. She tilts her head back onto his shoulder and nuzzles her face in his neck where her lips seek the taste of him. Her hands come around between them and quickly undo his jeans, pushing them away from him as she slips her hand inside. She wraps her long fingers around the thickness of him and pumps him into her fist. He growls softly and arches his spine. His fingers sink into her molten depths, her muscles grasping around them. She has managed to push his jeans down enough to free him but he's afraid if she keeps squeezing him he's going to come without her.

"Push your jeans down for me Temperance." His voice is deep, dragged through desire and whispering over her skin. His hand has slipped into her bra and scooped her breast from its confines. His fingers knead her soft flesh and tug her nipple as she whimpers and scrambles to push her jeans and underwear down over her hips. The second his hand is free to move between her legs he begins to pump frantically. She cries out and arches forward her hands falling to grip the counter. He pulls his fingers from within her and moves that hand to her breast where he spreads her slick juice over her nipple as he rolls it in his fingers. His other hand guides his erection between her legs. Her hips tilt back toward him and her moan gets louder as the head of him brushes along the back of her thigh. The ache within her is pulsing with need. He rocks slightly and plunges himself into her. She's pleading with him to go, whimpers punctuating her words. She's soaking wet, her moisture molten hot as it seeps down onto his balls. Her walls clench around him so hard he presses deeper into her to keep from being pushed out. He desperately wants to make this feeling last, these amazing few seconds when he first enters her.

His breath is rasping against her neck as he pulls out and before she can protest his thick shaft has thrust back, stretching her walls and plunging impossibly deep. She slams her hips back to him, the moaning is a steady sound twisted within her panting breaths. He lunges again, and again, and again, picking up a pounding rhythm that drives her higher and higher. He squeezes her nipple tightly, almost brutally before dropping his hand to her other hip so he can slam her back against him as he rocks into her. Their bodies smack rapidly, his balls and belly striking her with each hard thrust. He looks down and watches his body hammering into her and begins calling to god, to her. Her nails dig into the wood counter, her back bowing as her orgasm crests and then crashes within her. He can barely hold on to her jerking hips as he rams into her seizing depths and erupts inside her. Her body is fisting around him in erratic spasms as she cries his name into the room. He continues to pump behind her, his motion almost a blur. She wreathes and tightens as a second wave shatters her completely. Her thighs and back lock tightly and she suddenly reaches back and grabs his hips to hold him tightly against her. He can feel her contracting around him so hard his penis twitches with a hint of pain. He takes a sharp breath just as she begins to calm, her body trying to relax despite the uncontrolled jerking within her.

The room is filled with the sound of their bodies gasping for air. She holds onto the counter again, this time to keep from falling over. She feels him ease out of her swollen walls and a rush of wetness trickles down her thigh as her muscles continue to softly contract. He pulls up his jeans and reaches for a towel from his bag, gently wiping her thighs in an act that feels as intimate to her as the one they just finished. She closes her eyes as he pulls her underwear and jeans up over her hips and slips his hand under her shirt to repair her bra. He turns her around and pulls her against him, folding his arms around her. Her fists clutch his sweater, holding on as they both try to settle themselves down. She smiles into his chest, constantly astounded by how satisfying sex is with him no matter what the mood. This time it was quick, powerful and completely satisfying.

"Where did all that come from?" He wondered in those first moments if it was his tutorial, firing her gun or the competition that had aroused her so completely. Whatever it was he wanted to know so he could do it again. At least on another day because right now his leg is trembling and even if she put the gun to his head he didn't think he could do it again.

"I've seen you fire your gun before but I've never really watched you shoot. It was so graceful and…well, so sexy." With her face flushed and eyes shining from their activities he can't tell if the admission causes her to blush. He tips up her chin and kisses her gently.

"We should come to the range more often." He deadpans his answer but she knows he's smiling. A deep chuckle bubbles up from within her.

"If we do neither one of us will ever qualify to be licensed again. Look how bad my aim is when I'm distracted." She waits and he can feel her laughter.

"Oh, now you're saying you lost the bet because I distracted you by taking my turn. That's convenient but a bet is a bet and you clearly lost this one. I'm already going through my fantasies deciding which one I'm going to request as my prize." She looks up at him with a wicked grin on her face.

"You know I can't remember ever feeling this good after loosing a bet or this excited about paying the debt." His deep laughter bounces through the space of the room.

"You're excited about going around and telling three people that know us both that I'm a better shot?" There's a glint in his eye as he teases her and she rolls her eyes at him but she's learned how to play these games with him so she leans forward and whispers in his ear.

"No Seeley I'm excited about a night of being sexually at your mercy." She has the satisfaction of hearing him gasp. Laughing softly she zips up her jeans and turns back to the counter. His are still hanging loosely on his hips. "Do up your pants Seeley and let's finish target practice." He's glad he's already won the bet because at the moment he's pretty sure he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.


	18. Chapter 18

Seeley is packing the duffle bag after another hour of shooting time and Temperance decides it's a good thing

Bathing Beauty Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Bones and it's characters do not belong to me in any way shape or form.

A/N: I hope you are all still interested because there is still more to this little fantasy that grew up to be a many chaptered smutfest with a plot. I believe this is the first chapter that does not contain a full sex scene but I managed to do 17 in a row which I think is some kind of a record. Do not despair though the next chapter will deliver as always. I did have to get a little more relationship in here at some point though so please indulge me. As always thanks so much for reading and your comments are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

Seeley is packing the duffle bag after another hour of shooting time and Temperance decides it's a good thing. She had a hard time concentrating on anything other than how good he looked and how well he shot. The powerful images of him just wouldn't leave her. Of course she wasn't making a real effort to get rid of them either. She wonders how Angela would paint this moment, the strong sweeping lines of his form, the burst of speed and thundering noise surrounding the astounding accuracy. These are the things she's thinking about instead of the target. How amazing it was that within all that movement from him his eyes and his hand ended up finding the same spot on the horizon. It left her a little breathless every time. He tosses the empty boxes from the bullets into the trash and then sweeps and bags all the casings from the floor and the can on the counter.

"Why do you take the casings?" She thinks it has something to do with FBI regulations until she sees the look on his face. There's a shift in his features that tells her he's uncomfortable.

"I have a buddy that came back from the war in a chair and I always collect the casings for him because he uses them to make repacked bullets and sells them for target practice. It gives him a way to make money and he knows everything there is to know about bullets so the business does well for a one man operation." He slings the bag over his shoulder and opens the door for her.

"You should have told me, I would have given you mine all this time."

"Thanks Bones, just bag them whenever you come to the range and I'll get them to him."

She wanders down the hall getting an idea as she rounds the corner and sees Patrick still behind the counter. He smiles deep into his dimples as she approaches.

"Mr. O'Shey I wanted to ask you if you think Seeley is a good shot." Patrick arches his brows and looks to Seeley who's clearly surprised by her question.

"He's one of the best in a very small elite group of men. As his partner you already know that though so why are you asking?" She smiles sweetly and watches Seeley trying to figure out where this is going.

"Well of course I know he's a remarkable shot, he's far better than I am at it. I was just wondering what you thought so thank you." Seeley is laughing behind her and Patrick is sure that he has missed some vital part of this conversation.

Seeley places his hand low on her back and turns her toward the exit. "Bones, that doesn't count, you don't know him."

"Yes I do, I met him today, before the bet. His name is Patrick O'Shey and since both of us know him I believe that's one down and two to go on this part of our bet." A very smug smile tugs at her lips as they push through the door into the cold evening air.

"It was supposed to be someone that knows us well. I don't think it rattled your competitive nature or your ego at all to tell Patrick that I was a better shot." He tries to seem like he's pouting but he just feels too good to even fake a bad mood.

"When we made the bet you didn't say it had to be three people that knew us well. Just out of curiosity if you could have picked the three people that you wanted me to say this to, who would they have been?" They climb into the car and he immediately starts it and gets the heat going. The crisp chill of the afternoon has turned to a biting cold without the heat from the sun to temper it. The hand of winter tugs at the night air as it whips against the truck. Seeley cocks his head to the side as he considers his answer.

"Let's see, your father, Cam and Hodgins." He's chuckling even as he finishes.

"Why those three?" The idea gives her some anxiety for her own reasons but she tries to keep her voice steady.

"Your father because I'd like to hear you tell him that I was better at almost anything since I don't think he has a very high opinion of me. Cam because you two are always in some level of power struggle with each other although neither one of you will admit it. Hodgins because he would understand what it meant for you to have to say it, with him it would be one of those guy things that you hate." He seems very pleased with his answers.

"Are you still in therapy? Because after that answer I think you need to be. My father wouldn't have anything to say about it, I don't care what Cam would have to say about it and Hodgins would say what ever he thought you'd want to hear to be part of your _guy thing_." She's completely serious and he has to crush his urge to laugh or she will certainly kill him. He decides he should lighten things up before she gets really worked up about the whole thing.

"Am I still in therapy? Funny, I'm glad to see you're working on your sense of humor. That was pretty good. Now let's think about something more entertaining like where we want to go for dinner. I certainly worked up an appetite at the range; I can't remember the last time shooting practice took so much out of me." He can see the smile starting and he knows he's safe. "I don't know where the special place is that we're going to later so I thought I'd let you pick a dinner spot in case you wanted to head in a certain direction." He creeps his hand across the seat and laces his fingers through hers, part of him still expecting her to pull away.

"Get on the expressway and head North out of the city and I'll give you directions from there." She settles back into her seat as he puts them on the road and they ride in a comfortable silence. She likes this time with him when words aren't necessary and unlike other men he doesn't feel the need to fill the space with pointless conversation. She doesn't feel awkward being with him and she knows if she says or does something socially out of line he'll just correct her. He never makes her feel like it matters that she doesn't know anything about movies or pop culture. Instead he presents it as this world of wild and interesting information that she's been missing. He manages to make the simplest things seem fun. She wonders if that comes from being a father or if having that quality is part of what makes him a good father.

"Booth have you always been a person that approached every situation with the idea that it could be fun?" He's surprised by the question because he has no idea why she's asking. He should be used to it by now though because he is aware that her brain bounces all over the place at lightening speed. He has tried to help her learn not to let everything spill out of it.

"I guess so. I mean if I have to do something I figure I may as well try to make it enjoyable. There are things that I just find too disgusting to be fun though, like your dead bodies at work." This brings a small laugh from her. "I try to be open-minded and adventurous when it's something I've never done before but I am a guy so there are things I won't do. Like when I was a kid I wouldn't let my sister dress me in her tutu." She's laughing now at the thought of a young Seeley in a tutu with an angry look on his face.

"It's not that funny Bones. Why are you asking questions about having fun?" He hopes he knows the answer but this being Bones he has learned not to assume anything.

"Sorry, I just keep picturing you in that tutu and it's highly entertaining."

"I said I **didn't** let her put it on me."

"I know but it doesn't matter, I already have the visual. I'm surprised you see yourself as adventurous when you won't wear waders into a river, won't climb through the mud and you hate digging into the earth. You really aren't fond of being dirty in that _guy kind of way._"

"Hey what are you trying to say? Just because I don't like doing all those things to get to some stinky dead guy doesn't mean I'm not adventurous. It's not an adventure if you know your climbing through all that to get a gross body. Besides, I'm always in one of my good suits when you want me to go get all muddy. I can't tell you how many suits I've ruined since I started working in the field with you. Believe me, if you want to go out and wrestle with me in the mud without some rotting corpse being involved I'd be all over that offer. Now that would be fun." There's a twinkle in her eye and it occurs to him that she may actually be teasing him a little.

"You don't like clowns and clowns are supposed to be fun."

"Bones I can't believe you're going to the clown thing. No, I don't like them and you know that. Even after therapy I still think they're seriously creepy. Everyone has things they don't like. If I remember correctly you weren't overly fond of snakes and some people consider them fun. It's all a matter of perspective. If you wanted to try skydiving or hand gliding or hiking through the mountains I'd consider any of those things an adventure. Clowns have nothing to do with fun or adventures. Where are we going with all this conversation?" As usual he's starting to get frustrated by feeling he has to defend himself with her. It seems she attacks his manhood with her words and builds it back up with her touch.

"You would go skydiving and hand gliding with me?" She's completely serious and is still not telling him where this is going.

"Yes, if you really wanted to try it, I'd take you. Do you want to go sometime? We would need to pick a warmer day than today." He pictures them for a moment in tandem on a hand glider drifting in the breeze over a beach. He can't help but smile remembering how excited she was over the zero gravity flight they took with the space crew the previous year. "You would love hand gliding. It gives you that same sense of freedom that came with the zero gravity flight and the hot air balloon."

Her eyes brighten and she finds herself thinking that she would probably love it but partially because doing it with him would be fun. Which brings her full circle in her thinking about this whole concept. "It just seems to me that you know how to take simple things and make them fun. So, I was wondering if that was something you learned or if you were just always that kind of person."

Even before she finishes he realizes where she is in her head. It makes his chest ache for all the things she didn't get to do as a child. He squeezes her hand, wishing he could hug her instead. "It's something you learn and it's as simple as having the right attitude when you approach a new thing. You know Bones, it's never too late to have fun. We should all take time to act like a kid now and then. It's been proven that the laughter and stress release is very good for your health."

Her eyes are wide as she turns. "You're using science to back the benefits of fun in a person's life? That's quite the turn on Seeley." Her voice has dropped a little and her fingertips tap restlessly against the back of his hand.

"Should I pull over Bones?" Her laughter is quick and clear in the stillness of the truck.

"No, not right now. We'll save that for later. We're almost at the restaurant and I'm starving. Get off at the next exit and turn left at the second light." She's getting nervous because she made these plans earlier in the day and now she's not so sure it was a good idea. She wanted to do something for him, give him some part of her world that would cause him to get that wide eyed look of awe. She wanted to give him a gift the way he had been giving them to her, with time and experiences. It was more than that, she wanted to open a door in her life and offer him something of herself. He seemed to give to her so easily.

"Bones, where to now?" He's turned the corner and slowed down waiting for more directions.

"Sorry, go to the end of the block and there'll be a small restaurant on the left. It's called Orion's." As they pull in the lot she takes her hand and lays it on his arm. "I want you to wait here for a moment and I'll be right back."

He looks rightfully confused. "I thought we were eating here. Why would I wait in the car?"

"It's a surprise now just wait in the car. I won't be long." She slips out the door of the truck before he can ask any more questions.

Seeley doesn't know what to make of her planning a surprise. On one hand it's exciting and on the other it's kind of scary. They haven't been seeing each other very long so he doesn't know what her idea of a surprise could be. He leans back his head and closes his eyes. Images of the last week float in his head. The way her body rises under his touch and arches beneath his has been so much more than he ever thought it would be. He never imagined that being with her would be so all consuming. He knows she'll never be easy and although that thought can be exhausting, it excites him too. His thoughts are interrupted when she opens the door to the back and a man sets a large box on the seat. He can smell the food wafting through the car and realizes she has gotten them some sort of take-out.

"There you go Dr. Brennan, good luck."

"Thanks Paul, I really appreciate it." Seeley can see the man rub his hand together against the cold air before he turns away from the car and heads back inside. She climbs back in her seat and smiles brilliantly. "Okay, let's go."

"Where to now, Bones? I have to admit this all has me very intrigued but I do hope we're eating soon. Whatever's in that box smells amazing."

"It's not far, turn around and go back out to the end of the block. Then turn right at the corner and keep going past the point where the road turns to dirt." She's taking deep breaths and thinking about what she's going to say to him when he asks about their destination. The truck jumps as the road turns to dirt and she glances over at him. He's lost in thought and from the type of smile on his face she's pretty sure it's all sexual. She suppresses a chuckle and feels calmer. "Turn at the next drive and follow it to the building at the end."

They've been traveling up hill for a while and Seeley wonders exactly where she's taking him. He has an idea of the general area but he didn't know there was anything out here. As he turns up the drive the road curves sharply up and he tightens his grip. Just when he thinks this may be the world's longest driveway, the trees clear and he's in front of a large pale grey building. "Bones where exactly are we?"

"Grab the box and follow me and I'll show you." She gets out of the truck, grabbing a blanket and her bag from the back as he gets the box and waits for her. At the door to the building she has to enter a password into a keypad and then use two keys to enter. The hallway they're walking is curved and ends at a small elevator. As the doors close she punches a floor that has the letter O on it. Seeley is taking in as much as he can but is still at a loss as to where she has brought him. The security tells him it's not a public building and the lack of signs tells him it's not a place that a lot of people use or are supposed to find. She unlocks another door and they walk through an office without turning on the lights. She obviously knows this place very well. At the end of the room she slides open a door wall and they walk into a small room that holds a short sofa, a table with two chairs and an enormous telescope. She moves to a panel on the wall and punches in some numbers and the wall in front of them begins to move, sliding in panels to the side. When it finishes opening it feels like they're touching the sky. The stars are bright and seem so close the view takes his breath away.

"It's amazing." His eyes are large and he has just stopped moving, still holding the box. She lets him take it in for a little longer before interrupting him.

"Hey, why don't you put the box down on the table?" She punches a few more keys and heaters light on each side of the porch. The feint smell of something burning reaches him as the coils begin to glow. He sets down the box, finally dragging his eyes from the view.

"What is this place? I mean I know it's some type of an observatory but how do you know it?" She knows she's surprised him and she can't contain the smile.

"It belongs to the Jeffersonian. I did some research here for a college paper and actually made the contacts that ended up leading me to my job. This is one of the private observatory rooms where students and researchers put in hours of time tracking different astrological events. Sometimes I still come just because it's so beautiful and peaceful that I can calm down and think here. You know, sort things out when they get too complicated or overwhelming. When I look out there it makes me feel so small in the universe that I find perspective on what ever it is that's troubling me. Since this balcony faces west it has less activity that the other two and it's also the oldest telescope so I can usually book time when I need it." Even in the dim light he can see the color rise in her cheeks as she tells him this personal thing about herself.

"This is _your place_, the one you come to when the world gets bigger than you can handle. That's a pretty personal thing to share. As beautiful as the view is out there, I can't tell you how impressive the one I have now is." He leans forward and presses his lips softly to hers before pulling away. He doesn't want to confuse what he's told her with passion.

He understood and for the first time since they left the range she takes a truly relaxing breath. "Thank you for appreciating it. I wanted to share something with you." She pauses and he waits because even though she's struggling with her words he knows what she's trying to tell him is important. "You always give so much to me, so much of yourself and I wanted to reciprocate." Her bag slides down her arm to the floor and her head falls forward. He can't resist anymore so he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to him. He moves his lips against her ear and kisses the edge of it.

"Temperance it means everything to me that you thought about this, that you wanted to offer me this place where you spend private moments."

Her voice drops so low he can barely hear her. "That's not all I brought you here to offer." His breath catches as she presses into him. Just as quickly she steps away. "We should eat though before the food goes totally cold."

"What did you bring for us to eat?" He pulls the table a little closer to the heater as Temperance moves the chairs to one side. She opens the box and begins unpacking, pleased with how thoroughly her directions were followed. There are plates, napkins, silverware, food containers, a bottle of wine and they even stuck in a candle for the table. She pops the lids on their salads and puts them on the place settings.

Seeing his questioning look she smiles and hands him the dressing packet. "It's a no lettuce salad with cubed cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, onion, peppers and a ton of feta cheese." She opens her packet and pours it over the salad, mixing for a second and then stabbing a bite. She holds the fork up to his lips, her eyes sparkling in the glow of the heater. He opens his mouth and takes the bite from her fork, humming in appreciation as he chews. He finds it a little sexy that she fed him so he decides to return the favor. He plucks a cherry tomato from the salad and holds it to her lips. She parts her lips and slips out her tongue, wrapping it under the tomato and pulling it into her mouth. She then sucks the dressing from his fingertips. He should have remembered from that first breakfast with her after they had slept together that she can get down right pornographic with food. He can't tear his eyes from her mouth as she chews until her tongue comes out and traces her lips to signal her little show is over. He sighs heavily and turns back to his salad.

She opens the rest of the containers in front of them. There are beef tips in mushroom gravy and pan seared dumplings. She pulls off the next lid and it's some type of stuffed noodles in a spicy sauce. Everything smells amazing to him. She hands him the wine and he pulls a pen knife from his pocket and cuts the foil as she unwraps the glasses. Their movements are easy and synchronized and he smiles as he watches. He's pulling the cork from the bottle when she stabs a piece of beef and dangles it near his lips. His smile spreads as he pulls the bite from the fork. The meat is so tender it almost melts in his mouth and he moans in appreciation of the astounding flavor.

"Mmmm, that's a red wine sauce and not the mushroom flavor I was expecting. It's absolutely delicious." She smiles and feeds him another bite, watching him chew, the muscles in his jaw moving and reminiscent of how they move against her. He pours the wine and then feeds her a bite of the dish. She too moans at the well balanced and perfectly cooked dish. He holds the second bite a little higher and watches her lips part. The slender column of her neck looks long and luminous and after she tugs the bite from his fork he drops his head for a taste of her. She swallows the bite and her neck flexes under his lips.

This feeding and feasting reminds her of something primitive. Species in the wild that tear and dangle their captured prey for their spouse and offspring to feed on in frantic snatching bites. There is something basic that leaves behind a profound sense of satisfaction when one of the biological imperatives is met with such attention to detail. This is caretaking in the rawest form. Even our most distant ancestors filled these needs with one another. Even though she understands why, it's odd for her to feel so connected. It's what she loves about anthropology, the patterns of behavior that exist in all people no matter how far back in history you go.

He's dangling another bite and this time when she parts her lips she tugs the bite with her teeth and slips her tongue out to follow it off the fork. Seeley is staring at her, his chest rising in short breaths.

"Damn Bones did you do porn movies in another life?" The comment comes from his mouth before his brain has reengaged.

"What?" It's after she speaks, when he goes to restate the question that he realizes what he said.

"No, no wait…not, not that I watch porn or think of you that way or anything. It's just that was so hot and I just…"

Her laughter stops his words. It's obvious to her that he has no idea how endearing he is when he's flustered and unaware of himself. "Seeley relax, I'm hardly a prude. I was just making sure you meant it as a compliment." She leans over until her lips are near his. "Is that what you want for your fantasy Seeley? A scene from a porno that you saw somewhere along the way? Because I could do that for you."

For the first time in his life Seeley Booth thinks he may be in over his head. His dick is so hard he's afraid if she even brushes against it the results will be both painful and embarrassing. He is either in some state of sexual shock or the sudden rush of all his blood to his dick has left him unable to function. Maybe both. She may not be a pro but her bold approach certainly makes him feel like a drooling seventeen year old with out any directions. His mouth is moving but nothing is coming out of it. She smiles at him and turns back in her chair.

"It's okay, you don't have to know right now." She picks her fork back up and stabs a few bites of noodles and eats quietly while he tries to remember how to get air into his lungs. She may be trying to get to him but she really has no idea how devastatingly sexy she can be. There is still something pure and naive in what she offers him that hasn't been damaged by her past. He studies her and pictures her out in the field bending over a dead body. The more he gets to know her, the harder it is for his mind to negotiate between that woman and this one.

"Seeley, you have to eat. We don't want to waste this wonderful dinner." He turns and begins to eat and after a few bites his focus rises from between his legs back to his stomach and the food. The nutty spicy sauce on the noodles captures his attention and he eats several bites to take in the full flavor. He offers her a bite and watches her take it with a twinkle of knowledge in her eyes. He can't help the smile he gives her.

They sit comfortably then, eating and feeding each other the occasional bite. He lets her have the last dumpling and doesn't even give her a hard time about it. The sexual tension is thick and she's sure it's keeping them warmer than the heaters ever would. She's looking up at the sky and sipping her wine when he sees her expression change.

"Can we skydive at night? It would be amazing to be falling and watching a sky like this one."

"Yes, if you want to there are places we can schedule to go during a full moon or carrying illumination lamps. I'd be willing to do a jump at night. Let me make some calls and arrange it. I know that if you've never jumped before and your first time is going to be at night we should jump in tandem and then once you have a feel for it you could go independently."

She turns to look at him and he loves the eager anticipation on her face. "That would be amazing. How long do you fall?" He can see her mind working, filling with questions for him.

"If we go up 14,000 feet we'll get about a full minute of freefall followed by six to eight minutes of gliding with the parachute before we have to concentrate on landing."

"How soon do you think we could try it?" He almost laughs at her enthusiasm but he doesn't want her to be self conscious.

"The biggest factor for us right now is the weather but I can check into it tomorrow and let you know." He refills their wine glasses and grins broadly because whether she realizes it or not he's aware that they are slowly making future plans together. Plans that are really dates and events that when strung together become a life.

She stands and packs away their dinner and he gets up and helps her. He thinks about how it feels to do these simple tasks with her. She turns and spreads the blanket over the couch and they sit together, pulling the ends over themselves. He wraps his arm around her and she curls against him. They get lost in the view before them and sit quietly.

Temperance slides her hand across his chest and thinks about how easy it would be stir his arousal again. She knows that despite all their recent activity it simmers just below the surface in both of them. She has been very pleased to find that his sexual appetite has matched hers. At the moment though, something else is stirring in her. She wants him and at some point between now and when she sleeps for the night she's going to have him again, she knows. It's just that at this moment what she needs from him doesn't feel just sexual. At this moment she's quite content tucked under his arm with his solid body next to her and the scent of him lingering in each breath. It confuses her to feel satisfied and comforted just by his presence. It isn't loving him that has overwhelmed her in the last few days, it's all of the other unfamiliar emotions that have come with it.

"I can feel you thinking Bones, what's up?" He feels her sigh heavily and shift closer to him and he stokes her arm to sooth her discomfort.

"I'm just used to have my life organized and compartmentalized so that each day had a clean logical flow to it. I enjoy how we are together but I have all these feelings now that are messy and difficult to control."

"Well the solution to that problem is right within the statement. You don't have to control these feelings. Good feelings are meant to run through you without being contained, that's the beauty of them."

"Don't you find it exhausting just keeping up with them all?" He knows her question is sincere but he has to think about it for a moment.

"I guess I don't really think about it anymore. I just try to pause on days like today and make sure that I'm taking everything in because I don't want to miss a moment of it. You spent so many years dealing with difficult painful emotions that you learned how to contain them but that's not what you need to do anymore. It's just going to take you a little time to adjust."

They watch as several shooting stars arc across the night sky. "Make a wish Temperance."

"On the stars like children do?"

"Yes, I'm sure you remember how. Your mother seems like the type of woman that took you in the yard at night and had you wish on stars."

"She did but we both know wished don't come true just because you wish on a star."

"Well we don't have any proof one way or another so lets err on the side of hope and do it anyway. It's not like it hurts anything." She laughs at his childlike beliefs but it also makes her feel good to do these silly things that make no real sense. There was a time that she would have argued over his statement that no proof existed but she finds she's much more indulgent with him these days.

"Okay, star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight." She closes her eyes for a moment to make her wish and then relaxes against him. When she opens her eyes he leans down and kisses her, his tongue sweeping into her mouth in hunger. She lifts her knees and eases down onto the couch, pulling him with her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cam is sitting at her computer when the light in the corner begins to flash. She opens the document and looks at it with confusion. Why would Dr. Brennan's security code be used at the Jeffersonian's observatory? Well at least the program is working correctly. She flips to another screen and checks the cameras that she spent the afternoon placing. Whoever invented nanny cams was a genius, they were so easy to set up a third grader could have done it. So far there's no activity on the screens but if Brennan was out at the observatory on some geek mission it would be quiet until morning. Of course this still didn't explain why she couldn't locate Seeley.

She places the four small tins filled with clay into her bag and smiles. She's sure she'll have the opportunity to make impressions of their respective house keys at some point in the next few days. After that she'll be able to track most of their movements. It's almost frightening to her how easy this all was to set up; she should have gone into surveillance work. She sets the alarm on the program to beep when there's activity and heads into the other room. She loves it when a plan goes this smoothly.


	19. Chapter 19

As they walk down the hall Seeley actually has to step up his pace to keep up with her

Bathing Beauty Chapter 19

**Warning: Sexually explicit, mature readers only.**

Disclaimer: They are not mine and if they were they would be hospitalized by now from dehydration of fluids during continuous spontaneous orgasms occurring in each others presence.

A/N: Okay readers, to those returning thanks you so much for your loyalty. I am back on the Bathing Beauty train and writing away. I seem to have found another well of inspiration to write this one out so I'm going to just go for it. I appreciate every one that responded when I questioned whether or not I should shelf it. Things will really start to pick up once I get Booth and Brennan back to work and running into Cam…oh, wait, that's news for another chapter! It means everything to know there are people out there reading and enjoying any of my work. Thanks for your time and patience, I vow to be back to steady work on this one. As always your comments are greatly appreciated.

Also another chapter of Talking Head is on the way!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As they walk down the hall Seeley actually has to step up his pace to keep up with her. He wiggles his shoulder to try and tip the bag he's carrying to a more secure spot and adjusts the box in his arms as they reach the elevator. His emotions are all swirling within him at an alarming rate making him feel a bit dizzy. He's worried about what Bones is thinking at the moment because she's all motion. He isn't sure if it's embarrassment, anger or frustration that's driving her. It could be all three.

Once in the elevator he risks a glance at her face but she isn't giving anything away. Thinking about exactly how she looked when the lights went on almost causes him to laugh. They were both topless and he was working on her jeans when the group of students had burst into the room. He knew she was quick but she was standing clutching her sweater to the front of her before he had even comprehended what had happened. His ass is still throbbing from his fall to the floor after she catapulted him off of her. Recalling the scene he can't suppress the pressure of the laughter building inside him. As the bell sounds to announce their arrival on the main floor the doors of the elevator open and his laughter erupts.

For a second she thinks he's choking but as he gasps and then fills the space with sound it registers that he's laughing. Her initial response is sheer disbelief so she just stands there watching him as her bag slides down his arm and the box begins to teeter in his grasp. While she's distracted by his outburst the doors slide closed and the elevator begins its accent. Realizing that they are headed back up to the floor holding the boys she reflexively hits the stop button. An alarm screeches for just a few seconds causing her to jump and Booth to slide the box down his legs to the floor in his fit of hysterics.

She's angry that the evening she planned so carefully with him was interrupted by a scheduling error. She's a little uncomfortable with being caught on the sofa half undressed like two teen agers. She usually likes the small rush that comes with having sex in places that they could get caught but not by a group of boys that barely looked old enough to drive. They were all just standing there with their mouths hanging open while she pulled her shirt back on and zipped up her jeans. She wanted to stay mad, she really did but the events of the night and Seeley's infectious laughter prove to be more than she can resist. It comes in ripples that build and run up out of her as if some part of her has just overflowed.

She sinks to the floor holding her stomach as she remembers Booth on the floor holding his cheek and howling in protest. He was trying to do his pants and yelling at the boys to quit drooling and turn around or he would shoot them. Tears run down her face and her stomach aches from the hard laughter after all these days of sex. Seeley drops down beside her and wipes at his cheeks as he tries half heartedly to get a grip. It's a long time before they both settle down and can actually draw a deep breath.

"Bones I was kissing you one second and the next the lights went on and I was on the floor. You have some amazing reflexes." He is still chuckling as he struggles to maintain while he's talking.

"I can't believe you threatened to shoot those boys. It wasn't their fault." She's calming down, trying to wipe the make-up that has gathered beneath her eyes.

"They were ogling you and I think the one on the end was actually drooling." He tries to sound irritated by the boys actions but he just can't keep a straight face.

"I think you scared him so badly he wet his pants. You know you're going to have to quit threatening to shoot people one of these days."

"Bones if that boys pants were wet it wasn't because of fear. It was from getting a glimpse of you. He looked like the type of geek that has never seen an actual naked woman before."

As the implications of his comment sinks in she blushes. She pushes into a standing position and puts her hand out to him. He takes it, still smiling and stands.

"We should get going before the fire department shows up to rescue us from this elevator. The last thing we need is for this day to get any more embarrassing."

He looks horrified at the thought and quickly lifts the box back into his arms as she takes the bag onto her own shoulder. A shuddering of the metal walls begins their descent and she tries to remember the last time she laughed so hard but comes up with nothing. It feels like some kind of proof to her scientific mind that he's good for her.

The doors open and they walk in silence still smiling with the residue of their laughter. She punches in the code on the final set of doors and they're met with an upward gust of frigid air. They move quickly to the truck and she climbs into the passenger seat as he puts the box containing their leftovers and the remnants of their picnic in the back. Once inside he starts it up and cranks on the heat, rubbing his hands together to warm them against the cold air. He doesn't want to be presumptuous but he would like to go back to her place. As he's thinking about how to phrase it she interrupts his thoughts.

"Let's go Seeley its freezing and the truck will get warmer faster if we're moving."

"Where are we headed?" He's grateful that she left him this opening.

"Back to my place, my bed is far more comfortable than yours." She's obliviously digging through her bag for something and doesn't even hesitate over her words. It amazes him that she can utter one casual statement and his dick hardens. His body is more than willing to take up where they left off when they were interrupted. He pulls onto the road and begins thinking about what fantasy he would like her to fulfill for loosing their bet at the range. Images of her that would test their sexual limits as well as their appetites leap into his head. He wonders how far her inhibitions go and his dick tightens in response to his sexual ruminating.

"What are you thinking about right now Seeley?"

"Why?"

"I could say I'm just making conversation but I know that flushed look and your breathing has quickened. Given that and the substantial bulge in your jeans I'd say your mind has wandered somewhere interesting."

Moments like this one are what define the differences between Temperance and the bimbos of his past. Well moments like this and the sex of course.

"I'm thinking about what fantasy I'm going to use to have you pay off your bet." His voice has dropped to that low sound that skims over her. She's suddenly feeling warmer.

"So have you chosen one yet?" She wants to be casual but the thought of being at his sexual mercy causes the most delicious ache to spread in her breasts.

"I'm narrowing it down." His hands tighten on the wheel and in the shifting shadows of the car she notices his adjustment against the discomfort of his erection.

"Seeley if there are that many maybe we should be trying one out every week. We could rotate, one of yours and then one of mine." Her voice changes when she speaks the phrase _one of mine_ and he feels it in his groin. Her statement alone is like a fantasy come true and they haven't even started with them yet.

"That sounds fair to me. Do you already know what your first choice would be?" It takes everything in him to project a casual tone.

"I do but I don't have a bed with traction bars and I don't own a live chicken so I guess I'll have to settle for number two." His eyes grow wide with what looks like complete terror just before she starts laughing. Even in the dim light she can see that he's blushing.

"Funny, very funny Bones." He really has no worthy come back to her little joke. He's seen her pushed to her mental, physical and emotional limits since he's known her. Despite their recent activities he still has no idea where her sexual limits end. It makes him a little nervous not to know what images wake her in her darkest hours and send her searching for relief. Her hand on his thigh draws his focus back to her and the last of her chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. I think it's interesting that even now that we're sexually active you still get embarrassed talking about sex."

"No, I don't get embarrassed. I was just raised catholic and we didn't talk about sex so I might not be as comfortable as you, but I'm not embarrassed." His voice is tight now but it's not in her to let it go, especially since she's sure she's right.

She leans over in her seat and starts talking in a low rough whisper. "So if I said I wanted to place my soft lips over your rock hard cock and suck it into my hot wet mouth right now, that wouldn't embarrass you?"

He brakes because the car is going too fast. He brakes because something in him is going too fast. He's never had his dick actually hurt from a hard on before this moment. He realizes that there is no way to speak so he just shakes his head but the gesture lacks sincerity.

Her fingers touch his thigh and he lurches in his seat. She strokes her hand slowly up his leg. "If I asked you who gave you your first blow job would you tell me if it felt as good as it does when my tongue swirls around you and the head of you touches the back of my throat?" Her nails graze the inside of his thigh. "Why are your cheeks so red Seeley?"

He can hear her purring out some words but isn't sure what she's saying, the hum and vibration of them has short circuited his brain and rendered him unable to communicate. He slows the car even further, moving into the right lane of the highway. When her fingertips brush his erection he snaps to attention. If he doesn't get her to stop the embarrassment is literally going to come from between his legs.

"Bones stop! I give okay? You're going to get us killed. You can't do that while I'm driving." She moves her hand but stays near him on the seat.

"You give? What does that mean exactly?" The voice is still all sex kitten and he struggles to hold his focus. After all, it has always been one of his fantasies to have her talk dirty to him but these weren't the circumstances he had envisioned.

"You're really going to try to be naïve with me right now? It doesn't suit someone of your caliber."

She laughs softly. "I learned that trick from you Booth, in the interrogation room. I'm very observant, which takes me back to my point. I watch you when we talk about sex and your eyes start glancing around the room, your cheeks turn red and you stumble through your sentences. Why can't you just admit that you find it embarrassing?" He isn't sure if it was her voice or her tone but something slipped through her last comment.

"You want to talk about sex Bones? Let's talk about a sexual fantasy that takes place in the interrogation room. I have a feeling you know this one." He sees her jerk back just a fraction and knows he's hit a nerve. Right now she's wondering how he knew. "Let me see, I'm going to say that it's you in the chair and I'm pacing the room, feeling aggressive. You have some information that I need and I'm running out of time to get it. Maybe you try to get up and leave so I have to pin you against the wall." He hears the slightest gasp and is surprised. It has never occurred to him that she would harbor a fantasy in which she plays the submissive role.

"You say I can't stop you because you haven't been arrested so I decide to do the honors. I swear you press your breasts into my chest just before I spin you to face the wall. I pin your arms over your head and lean against you so my lips just graze your ear. I begin whispering your rights and you stop moving."

"_You have the right to remain silent but I doubt you're going to be able to go the quiet route. With a body like this one I'm betting you're a screamer. If you give up the right to remain silent anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. Actually anything you say will be used against you right now but you like that don't you? You have a right to an attorney but you aren't going to need one because you already have your hands full with an F.B.I. agent. If you can not afford an attorney one will be appointed for you but we all know you can afford a whole law firm. Do you understand these rights?"_

"You struggle against me but my size and leverage have you immobilized. I slide my leg between yours so you can't kick me and then snap the first handcuff onto your wrist. I ask you again if you understand as I press my hips into yours. The word yes sound more like a hiss from your lips. You freeze for just a second and I quickly snap the second bracelet into place. I tell you to keep your hands where they are, high on the wall. You rattle the cuffs on your wrists and I can smell the fear and arousal pouring off of you. Your whispered string of profanity is powerfully sexy; I didn't know you used such colorful language. My free hand slides down your arm to your waist as I ask if you're concealing any weapons."

He waits as he listens to her breathing. After several moments he hears her voice whisper to him. "Go on because I probably am." He laughs at the irony in the truth of her suggestion, carrying a weapon is so like her. She's apparently abandoned her efforts of make her point about his attitude toward sexual conversation. It occurs to him she could be trying to see how far he'll go with this. He locks his focus on the road in front of them and decides he can take it all the way as long as he isn't looking at her.

"I pull your body against me so you can feel how hard I am for you. I want you to be a little intimidated, there's still something I need for you to tell me. You arch your back, pressing your perfect ass into my hips and rubbing against me. I place my hands on top of your breasts and slowly move them down until I'm cupping them in my hands. I can feel the hard press of your nipples in my palms and I pause to rub my thumbs over them. You drop your head forward and moan. The sound itself makes my hands tighten with the need to have you." He stops because he has to, just long enough to calm down. He takes the car through a wide turn, noting how much lighter it is now that they're back under city street lights. He's uncomfortable talking to her like this even in the intimacy of the car but he'll be damned if he's going to show it. If this is part of what feeds her sexual appetite then he can rise to the occasion in more ways than one.

She watches him work his jaw and draw a long slow breath. He's so focused on the road and his words that he doesn't even allow himself to glance in her direction. She finds herself aroused by his determination and discipline as well as his story. She wants to reach between her legs and ease the aching but even more than that she'd like to wait until she can have him. Since being interrupted at the observatory her desire has been on a low boil. She's contemplating telling him to pull over when his voice draws her attention back to him.

"I slide my hands down the front of you, across your abdomen and down to the top of your thighs. I bend down and move my hands to your knees. Your legs tremble as I slowly stroke up under your skirt. My right hand moves to the inside of your thigh and I hear you gasp as it hits resistance. I chuckle as I lift your skirt to look. I hear you breathe that I'm a bastard as I place my hand between your legs to undo the strap holding the .22 to your leg. My knuckles brush the satin of your underwear and it doesn't escape my attention that they're damp. I press my hand against you and feel you grind into me in response. I tell you this would all be over if you would just cooperate and tell me what I want to hear. You shake your head no and grind yourself harder against my fingers. My hips thrust toward you and I suddenly wonder just who's in control of this interview." Seeley pauses and slows down the car when he realizes that in his trance he's been slowly picking up speed. He's glad he's driving because at least he can't close his eyes and really visualize her in this role. The flashes in his head are hard enough to deal with while he's trying to stay so firmly in control.

"I stand back up and empty the gun before tossing it onto the table behind us. Handling you is dangerous enough." He doesn't have to look to know she's smiling. "I place my hands on your back now and trace the powerful lines of you as you arch into my touch. My hands cup your ass and squeeze and you rattle the handcuffs against the wall to emphasize your frustration. I turn you around so that you're facing me again and you quickly hook your hands around my neck. You spin us so that my back is to the wall and to my surprise you kiss me."

At the thought of her lips he stops. There is a moment when dangerous and reckless collide and bad things happen. He feels like that at this very moment and it causes his intuitive self to tremble in fear. "Temperance, I have to stop."

At first she thinks he means the car but when it doesn't slow she realizes he means the story. "Are you uncomfortable?" A small smile pulls at her lips.

"Not in the way you think, I'm physically uncomfortable. I'd be happy to finish the story when we get back to your place." He shifts in his seat and she turns her eyes to the window in another one of those fleeting moments of shyness that surprise him. He hears her gather her breath.

"I have a feeling that if we wait until we're at my place I'll never hear the end of that story." He loves the amusement and innuendo riding the rough tone of her voice.

"Is that a complaint?"

"Absolutely not."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cam trudges down the hall toward the beeping computer screen. She's surprised that she fell asleep. She's usually a night owl but tonight she dozed off in the middle of some movie about a bank robbery. She taps her keyboard and the screen jumps to life. She wonders what Dr. Brennan was doing at the observatory for so long. She'll have to remember to ask her if she's working on any side projects. Glancing at the screen she sees that there's been no activity in the offices at the Jeffersonian so she assumes that Temperance has called it a day and is headed home.

Now all she has to do is figure out where the hell Seeley has been all weekend. For a moment she toys with the idea of getting dressed and driving by his house. He said he had plans. He said he was seeing someone. He told her he wasn't going to be home so he must be at the house of this other woman. Her mind goes back to the phone call and the sound of him with his unknown partner. She was sure it was Brennan but if he's with a woman tonight and Brennan is alone then that would mean he's seeing two women at the same time. If he's seeing two women then why isn't she one of them? He told her he would never do that and that he's serious about his current partner. Could he be that deceitful? Are they both deceiving her? She shakes her head and pushes down the anger building within her. She'll have her answers soon enough.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Temperance emerges from the bathroom Seeley is already changed into a pair of well worn black sweats and a grey t-shirt. She has pulled on dark green sweats and a long sleeve shirt with a picture of Einstein sticking out his tongue out on the front of it. Seeley chuckles when he sees it and watches her brush her hair and then retrieve a pair of socks. He can tell that she's still chilled so he goes into her kitchen and puts milk on the stove to make them some hot chocolate.

He has just poured the steaming liquid into mugs when her arms slide around his waist. Her willingness to be physical with him in these small ways still astounds him. It means the world to him that she comes to him like this after having kept him at arms length for so long. He turns in her embrace and hugs her in return.

"Mmmm, hot chocolate is perfect, I'm still cold." He smiles and pulls away to hand her a mug. She wraps her fingers around it to get them warm and heads to the sofa with Seeley right behind her. He puts his arm around her and she leans into him, resting her head against his shoulder. "I wanted to thank you for today. It was a perfect day from the balloon ride to the food and the range. I had a wonderful time."

"But did you have fun?" She thinks about it and really there isn't any doubt for her, it was more fun than she's had in a long time.

"Yes, it was definitely fun. It's been a long time since I've had a day that didn't include some form of work obligation." She sips her chocolate and marvels at how comfortable she feels just being near him.

"What are your plans for tomorrow? I know you have some work to do but I was hoping we could spend part of the day together." She's so relaxed that she actually doesn't want to think about doing work at the moment. It occurs to her that this is how most people must define their lives, between work and play. She has never really taken this kind of time for herself and she's always enjoyed her work so her life has always been a grey zone. Even with all her compartmentalizing she didn't make a place in her life for just living.

"I wanted to get up and go to the farmer's market and then get some breakfast. You're welcome to come with me. After that I have some time. What did you have in mind?" She's suddenly glad that they have one more day to the weekend. For the first time in her adult life she's dreading Monday and the close to their weekend together.

"Nothing elaborate, I thought we might take a picnic out to the park and do some hiking. There won't be too many days left that we can spend outside before it's too cold to enjoy. I also want to call a friend in the morning and see if we still have enough of a season left to fit in that skydiving. We'll need to book it as soon as possible."

"I'd love to do a hike and a picnic but I'm not sure we'll be able to go. Did you check the weather? I thought we were supposed to get rain tomorrow." He's running his fingertips down her arm and she notes that she isn't in a panic. They're sitting here making plans to spend more time together and she didn't even stop to consider saying no so she could work. She feels him shift beneath her and watches him punch some buttons on his phone. She drinks some more of her chocolate and smiles to herself. She doesn't feel any anxiety what so ever. She feels him return the phone to his pocket and reach to pick up his mug.

"You're right it looks like we're going to have to change plans to an elaborate home made meal and a movie. How's that sound to you?" His touch and his voice are both soothing and arousing. She finishes her drink and reaches over and sets it on the end table before settling back against him and smiling as he resumes his touch.

"I think that sounds wonderful but who's doing the cooking of this elaborate home made meal?" He chuckles and the deep vibration of it stirs the first embers of yearning within her.

"We can do it together if you like or I can cook if you need to get some work done." She wonders if life is really this easy, simple flowing conversation about their plans from one day to the next. Sitting here with him it seems so much less complicate than she ever imagined it would be.

"I'll have to check my messages and see what's piled up in there in the last two days but I should at least be able to help with part of it." He sets down his mug and pulls her tighter against him.

"Are you feeling any warmer?" His hand has moved to her hair, his fingers sliding through and rubbing her scalp.

"Yes, and I believe you have a story to finish." She slides her leg over his and turns herself until she's straddling his lap. He is transfixed by how bright her eyes are even in the dim light. "Let's see, you had just checked me for weapons and we were kissing." She leans in and brushes her lips over his and then sucks softly on his bottom lip before opening her mouth to him.

She yelps in surprise as he holds her and stands. "I did a preliminary search for weapons but now that I've found that gun I think a strip search is in order…"

She laughs and clenches her thighs around his hips as he carries her down the hall toward the bedroom.

Tbc…


	20. Chapter 20

Bathing Beauty Chapter 20

**As usual mature readers only**.

A/N: Okay I'm back in the game with this story, I had to go back and read parts of it myself so I'm sure that some of you have long forgotten it. I promise to keep working on more chapters so go ahead and get invested in it again, I'll keep going until I finish it. Thank you to all those people who sent me little notes expressing their interest and asking that I post more of this story. Your encouragement is what ultimately brought me back to the keyboard so don't think your words were without influence. As always observations and comments are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: They are not mine but if Hart continues to torture them by denying them the healthy sex life that they deserve I may have to sue for custody so their heads don't explode from frustration.

The chiming of the alarm pierces her sleep and she slowly opens her eyes. Her arm stretches across the soft sheet and finds nothing but the cool material beneath her fingers. For a second she frowns before her mind retrieves the feeling of him kissing her good-bye sometime in the early hours of the morning. He had to be into work to get some things organized before a meeting. He told her about it last night. She pulls herself into a sitting position and pushes her hair out of her face. Her body aches as she stretches and she's filled with a wave of satisfaction despite the discomfort. Smiling she heads to the shower to think about what she can wear that will cover the marks he's left on her through the weekend. Dinner and a movie had turned into dinner, sex, a movie and more sex once they were in bed.

She was going to have to concentrate at work to catch up on some of the tasks she's ignored to spend time with him. She's up to date on the cases at the Jeffersonian; it's her own schedule for the bones in limbo that has fallen a bit behind. There are just so many of them, it seems like some weeks they close two and three more are delivered. It's been her personal goal to drive the number of the unidentified down to something manageable.

Her thoughts are diverted when the hot water strikes her as she steps into the shower. Several places on her body sting for just a second and her mind tumbles through the moments when his mouth was on her. She has to tell two people that he's a better shot to finish paying up on their bet. In exchange he's going to tell her what fantasy he wants from her. Her body warms in anticipation. He doesn't know it but she'd wear a shirt to work proclaiming him a superior marksman to have another weekend like this one. Her thoughts shock her but still make her smile.

She loves him, really loves him the way she imagines her mother loved her father and amazingly she finds the idea comforting. It's still a little frightening but on a level she can manage. Her mind wanders back to the previous day, how grazing against each other in the kitchen had scorched her skin with desire. They had let it burn between them, touching here and there as they worked. By the time they were eating dinner she was fixated on his lips and the throbbing between her legs had become almost unbearable. They had each other for desert right there on the kitchen floor. He had been full of fire and pounding need and she had soaked him when she came in relentless waves of shattering force.

Later when they went to bed they had taken their time with each other, as caught up in the sensation of each gentle touch as they had been in the intensity of their earlier encounter. She shakes her head as she turns off the water, pausing to make sure that while she was deep in thought she hadn't missed anything. Had she put conditioner in her hair? She runs her hand through it and then wraps it in a towel. It feels like she did but she certainly has to start paying attention to what she's doing. All these thoughts of Seeley are putting her entire life behind schedule. She's meeting him for lunch today so she shifts her focus to the set of remains that she knows is waiting for her at work and vows not to think of him again until lunch time.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The crisp air and bright blue sky that greet her as she drives into work make her think of the balloon ride and she scolds herself but allows the indulgence of the memory anyway. When she stops for coffee and briefly considers the hot chocolate it occurs to her that the man is just embedded in everything she does. He's always been a part of her thoughts and actions through the day and really she's the only one at work that knows the difference now. She needs to just let the whole thing be what it is for a while. Things will calm down eventually, they always do.

When she walks into the building Cam is the only one on the floor. Without a large case on the table she wonders why her boss has come in so early. Nodding an acknowledgement to the other woman she keeps on moving until she's in her office. She feels relieved to be in the comfort of her own space so she brushes off the peculiar feeling that nudges her. Right now she needs to get organized and get to work. Setting down her coffee and firing up her computer she pulls up the files on the last case she had transferred upstairs.

Over an hour later it's the loud sounds of Angela arriving that draw her attention from the file she's closing. She pulls on her coat and heads to the platform with the case file so she can examine the remains. The area feels extra bright after the soft glow of her office lamp so she drops her eyes to the file in her hand. Checking the registered numbers on the report to those with the body she situates her things and pulls on her gloves.

"Good morning Bren. How long have you been here?" Angela looks refreshed from her weekend but her expression is one of barely contained disappointment.

"Not quite two hours. I didn't get in as early as I had hoped so I'm a little behind this morning."

"Seriously you came in two hours ago and you're calling that a late start? I was still deep in dreamland two hours ago. Where were you this weekend? I called you to go out on Saturday night." Angela is used to Temperance not turning to look at her when she's working on a body but despite that fact she keeps her eyes on her friend. When Temperance's back stiffens at the question, it doesn't go unnoticed.

"Saturday night I was out doing some research until late but I had my cell phone with me, why didn't you call it?" She's trying to stick to the truth. She was out doing research at the planetarium, or at least she could have been. No one knows that's where she goes to think when she's upset, not even Angela so she rationalizes that it's this secret she's protecting and not Booth. She can't believe that she didn't check her home phone when they got in or all day Sunday for that matter. It's a testament to her current level of distraction.

"I tried; I kept getting a weird message that you were not in service." Angela watches closely but as she shifts her weight she notices that Cam, although bent over a microscope is also listening intently to the conversation. Before Brennan has a chance to respond Angela stops the conversation. She's uncomfortable with Cam's feigned disinterest. "Don't worry about it; I probably didn't need to go out anyway. I'm done with the reconstruction from last weeks limbo case but so far there haven't been any hits in the missing person's network. I'm going to run it again and switch out her hair and eye colors and see if anything pops up but I'm not feeling very optimistic about it."

Temperance is grateful for whatever it was that pushed Ange into her work gear because she really doesn't want to answer any more questions. "Anything in the personal effects found with the remains that will help with the identification?"

"I don't have the reports from Jack on that yet but when he's done we should probably meet on this one for a few minutes." Angela glances at Cam and sees that she is still listening but not with the same concentration as before. Something is definitely off with her. Maybe she's still mad about last week when she couldn't find Brennan.

"Okay, just let me know when." Temperance's voice fades off as she leans closer to inspect something that has caught her eye on the skull she's currently examining.

Angela hears the swipe of a card and turns, expecting it to be Jack or Booth but is surprised to see a security guard holding a package. She remembers when such a sight would have caused a rush of excitement in her but this job has robbed her of that pure joy. Now she's tinged with a twisting of fear whenever a package gets delivered.

"I have a package for Dr. Brennan; it's already been cleared through security because there was no return address on the box." Angela takes the box and smiles at the young man.

"Thanks Dave, since we know it isn't a gruesome body part or a bomb I'll stay and watch her open it." He gives her a bashful smile and a nod before retreating back to the front of the building. Angela watches him go and shakes her head. "He has a great body, if I was completely single and he wasn't such a boy I swear I'd ask him out, or in." She laughs, clearly amused by her own words.

Temperance turns, pulls off her gloves and then reaches for the box. It has some weight and there is nothing on it or the label that gives a clue as to who sent it. She begins to walk to her office knowing that Angela will be right behind her. She has the end cut open when the artist appears in front of her.

"SO what is it?" Her impatience and exasperation are apparent in her tone.

"I don't know I don't have it open yet. I know I haven't ordered anything so I wasn't expecting a package." Angela looks at her slightly confused but holds her tongue as Bren pulls out a frame. The picture is a beautiful aerial photograph of Washington D.C. On closer inspection she can actually make out the location of the Jeffersonian. She wonders if it means someone is watching them but when she looks up to question Brennan there is a rare beaming smile on her face.

"Okay, there is totally a story here so spill it right now." Temperance says nothing and just shakes her head, the smile absolutely radiating from her. She holds the photo up at arms length and then brings it closer so she can see the detail. She knows the exact moment it was taken. She can almost feel the bite of the cold wind on her cheeks and Seeley's warm body behind her. So much for getting work done and not thinking about him until lunch time.

It's too late to hide her reaction from Angela or to pretend that the photo confuses her so for a few moments she just stares at it. She's stunned by his thoughtfulness. He's managed to give her a picture of a moment that will remind her of him without anyone else knowing. For her it may as well be a photo of the two of them.

"Brennan obviously this picture means something to you. Who sent it? Was it one of those military guys or one of the astronauts that took you on the zero gravity flight? I know you know, now do tell. You've been hiding something, or someone from me." Her words are coming in a rush and her penetrating stare is fixed on Temperance, searching for clues.

She looks in the box to buy herself a moment and then scans the back of the frame. "There's no card Angela, I'm not sure who sent it."

"You may not be sure but you have a good idea. That gift doesn't have a card because the sender knew that you would know as soon as you saw it and from the look on your face, you did. Let me help you out here, it's either the last man that crawled out of your bed or the one that is currently trying to crawl in." As Temperance blushes Angela turns and sees Dr. Saroyan standing in the door, not moving, just standing. She's immediately annoyed because now she's definitely not going to get her questions answered. She wonders how long Cam's been listening to their conversation and why there is such a sudden interest.

Cam quickly gathers herself and walks up to the desk, looking at the photo that Brennan is still holding. "That's a beautiful photo Dr. Brennan. Is there some special occasion?"

"No, it's just a gift from a friend." She walks over and moves some artifact and then perches the photo on the long shelf of her wall.

"That's a thoughtful friend." She smiles sweetly wishing she had been allowed to listen to one more minute of conversation before Angela had noticed her. "Here are copies of the reports from Dr. Hodgins. We'll be meeting in about an hour to go over them and any other information that you have ready."

Temperance smiles because she's in a good mood and consequently has a higher level of tolerance at the moment. Angela nods but rolls her eyes as Cam turns her back to stride from the room.

"Okay, who sent you the photo? You might as well tell me because you know I'm not going leave you alone until you do." Angela crosses her arms in front of her to accentuate the idea that she is serious about wanting an answer.

Temperance is still looking at the picture. "I'll make you a deal Ange. You give me a couple of days to confirm the source and when I'm sure we'll talk again." She's careful not to say she'll reveal the sender, just that they will talk. She's getting better at this vague communication thing, Booth would be proud. She can feel Angela studying her so she stays very still, hoping that telling her the confirmation would take a few days will confuse her or at least lead her away from the truth.

"I swear you're getting harder to read." Temperance looks at her with genuine confusion and Angela shakes her head. Her friend is not that good at deception. She'll wait the next few days to see what develops because there is definitely something happening. The fact that it's going to take Brennan a few days tells her means it's probably one of the astronauts.

Angela finally wanders back to work and she feels like she can exhale. It's far harder to hide their relationship than she thought it would be. She heads back out to the platform to finish working on the remains. Cam said they would be meeting in an hour and she wants to be ready. Once the meeting is over she can start on her documentation for the file and then it will be time for lunch with Seeley.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She's running late, almost a half an hour late. She sent Booth a text to let him know she needed to bump the time up by half an hour but it still bothers her. Cam had developed almost an unnatural interest in these remains. Her questions had been endless and in Temperance's opinion somewhat redundant. It was frustrating. Angela had finally put an end to it. She started declaring there were labor laws and that she was starving so if Cam had more questions they would have to reconvene after lunch. It had never occurred to Temperance to just stop the meeting. She would never do that unless she was called away for evidence on an open case.

She turns her car into the parking lot and feels herself relax when she sees his truck. Of course he's already here. She picked this little Greek restaurant because it not only has good food but there are booths in the back with wall dividers that offer some privacy. She's been looking at restaurants in the area that are not on the radar of the rest of the staff. Even she has to admit that there is something thrilling and sexy about sneaking around town to meet with Seeley. She smiles when she sees him leaning out and waving to her. It's such a spontaneous feeling of happiness that it still leaves her a bit uncomfortable. Just seeing him shouldn't make her feel this good but none the less the relief and joy are there.

He watches her slide gracefully behind the small round table and grins helplessly when he feels her thigh press against his. She glances over her shoulder before leaning into him. Her hand slips around to his neck and holds him as her mouth captures his. He's so shocked by her semipublic display of affection that he freezes for a second before his body responds. When she releases him he can barely breathe.

"Thank you for the picture, it's beautiful." He smiles at her then, having forgotten that the photo was being delivered today.

"You're very welcome. Here I thought you were just glad to see me." The slight blush that washes her cheeks makes his thighs tighten.

"Well, that too. I _am_ glad to see you but I did love the gift. Angela is launching a full scale investigation to find out who sent it. I managed to avoid an answer today but I won't be able to do it for long."

He laughs softly at how seriously she takes this dilemma of Angela digging around in her personal life. "What did you tell her today?"

"I told her I wasn't sure who it was and that when I knew for sure we could talk again. She thinks it's an astronaut."

"I'm not sure if I should be complimented or insulted." As she opens her mouth to respond to him the waitress speaks.

"What can I get you today?"

Temperance doesn't hesitate, "a bowl of lemon rice soup, the spinach pie and a small Greek salad without the olives, dressing on the side. Oh and an iced tea please." She hears Booth chuckle beside her and turns to glare at him.

"I'll have the gyros lunch special with a cup of the soup and ice tea also." When the waitress leaves the table he just smiles at her. "How did you order without even looking at the menu?"

"When I found this place I called and asked some questions so I knew what I was ordering. Why are you laughing?"

"I am just constantly surprised by how prepared you are for almost every situation. A lesser man would be intimidated." She rolls her eyes at him as their drinks hit the table. "I do have good news though, I spoke to a buddy of mine and if the weather holds out and doesn't turn too cold we could go skydiving with him next weekend. That is if you don't have other plans already." He hates these moments when he falters and seems unsure but he has to be careful. He still sees the look in her eyes that reflects her urge for flight. She isn't used to sharing her life this way so he treads gently when staking his claim to her time.

He's equally happy and relieved when he sees her eyes light up in response. "I'd love to go. What time and where?"

"I still have to make arrangements for a time; I wanted to make sure you were available first. We can do night jumps if we like, the moon will be almost full so if it's a clear night it should be perfect. I still have to keep an eye on the weather though and if we decide to do it at night we'll have to wear thermal suits because it's going to be _cold._"

"If we have the choice I'd like to try it at night but I want to go either way." They eat quietly for a few moments basking in the good feelings between them. "Have you talked to Cam recently?"

His stomach tightens even though he has nothing to hide. "Not since she called the other day. I don't have a case that she's involved in so there wouldn't be any reason for her to call me." She looks at him for just a second and he hopes his face isn't flushed. Their food arrives and he watches her, knowing that she's ruminating about something.

"She's acting strangely at work, micromanaging cases from limbo that are fairly routine. She seems agitated about something but she hasn't approached me directly other than to insist I report to her about my schedule every day. I just thought you might know what's on her mind." She keeps eating and he pauses for a moment before responding.

Sometimes he forgets that she isn't like other women; there isn't any deceit in her. She would never try to trick him with a conversation; it's just not her style. If she wants to know something she just asks him and it's one of the things he loves most about her. "I have no idea what's bothering her but if you think there's something on her mind why don't you just ask her?"

"I've learned that sometimes with Cam it's better to just leave things alone. She already thinks I'm confrontational." He laughs and she scowls at him.

"You are, but in a very honest and direct way. Some people find it uncomfortable but that usually means they have something to hide or it wouldn't bother them." He is trying to stay with the conversation but he's become distracted by her fingers tracing the edge of her glass. Images of her hands on him swim in his thoughts and his chest tightens. "Hey, don't worry about Cam, eventually she'll tell you if she has a problem with something you're doing. Let's talk about something more interesting like what you're doing tonight after work."

She smiles then and she can feel herself growing warm. His hand slides onto her thigh and slowly trails up and down her leg. She likes it when he touches her like this, even when she knows it isn't some form of foreplay. There is just a soothing nature to his touch that settles her. Despite her reaction she decides she can't make it too easy on him. "If you think that charming smile and a hand on my leg are going to get you into my apartment later you're mistaken."

He can't believe that she's actually teasing him, playing with him in this way. He can see the smile she's trying to contain. His warm palm moves to the top of her thigh and his lips are now against her ear. "Really? Well then how about if I put my hand here?" His voice has dropped to a low rumble and his warm breath sends a chill down her neck.

"No, I still don't think that's going to do it." So much for a touch that isn't foreplay. She wishes her voice had come out stronger and more convincing.

He wiggles his fingers and they graze against the seam of her pants. He turns his wrist and cups her through her slacks. "Is this better?" His voice is almost a growl and she's about to respond when he presses the heel of his palm into her. On sheer instinct her hips push forward into his hand and a small sound escapes her. He loves her like this, when Dr. Brennan has retreated and he's left with his Temperance.

"Yes, that's much better. Maybe you should stop by around seven; I'll be home from work by then. I could draw a bath, fulfill a fantasy or two…"

His penis rises as she speaks and he can no longer take a deep breath. "I'll be there at seven, do you want me to bring something for dinner?" he nips at her earlobe and her head tilts in response.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" At the sound of the waitress they snap upright and Booth whips his hand back onto his own lap. He starts chuckling as it occurs to him that it didn't matter, that woman could have been standing there listening to the whole thing and they wouldn't have noticed.

"No, just the check will be fine." She takes a drink of her iced tea to try to cool the burning flush she knows has risen across her breasts and up to her cheeks. She hears him laughing softly beside her. They're loosing their minds, both of them. They don't even think about where they are or who's watching them. She struggles to regain her composure before turning to him. "Maybe we should just meet at my apartment for lunch. This feels a little too…public."

His laughter stops immediately. "I'd love to meet you at your apartment but I doubt we'll get to eat much lunch. I believe that's what they call a nooner."

"A nooner? I thought it was a booty call." His laughter bursts from him again and when it subsides he suddenly leans over and kisses her.

"That would be a booty call of sorts but when you're doing it on your lunch hour it's also called a nooner. Either way, we can definitely start having lunch at your place. It's closer than mine so we'll have more time. Today though your booty is going to have to wait until after work because I do have meetings this afternoon and Cullen is at two of them so I have to attend."

"Well, if I can't wait I can slip into my office and take care of myself." It's intentional; she knows what the idea of her masturbating does to him. It is after all what brought them together.

"Damn it Bones, did you have to say that? I would like to go back to work and not have a raging hard on when I get there." Something in her is changing, or maybe it's just now revealing itself to him. All he knows is that he wants to see more of this open playful side of her.

"That's exactly why we need to start meeting for lunch at my place." He groans loudly beside her and she smiles. "Come on let's pay this bill and get out of here. We'll order pizza tonight, that'll keep things simple." She slides out of the booth and he slowly gets up and follows her to the counter. He buttons his suit coat and deliberately stalls at the register to give his body time to calm down.

Her phone rings and she steps outside to answer it as he finishes his transaction. He watches her for a moment through the window and is captured by the natural beauty of which she is so unaware. As he walks to her car to kiss her good bye he's thinking about the fact that he's a very lucky man.

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Temperance walks back to her office and sees Cam on the platform checking her watch as though timing her. She can't remember the last time anyone worried about her hours. She has always put in a long work week, easily exceeding 60 hours most of the time. Maybe Cam was doing something else and she misinterpreted the action. She fires up her computer and begins working on the notes from the meeting they had before lunch. There were some good leads with particulates that have given them a location on where this woman spent her final days. Jack is still working on some of the samples to see what else he can find. She's hoping there is enough of a story in the bones to give them her identity.

She's heading back to the platform to continue her examination when Angela catches up with her.

"Where did you disappear to after the meeting? We were all going to the diner to catch a bite and when I got to your office you were already gone." She's got her hand on her hip as though an answer is required but the gesture goes unnoticed.

"I had some errands to run so I went on my lunch." As usual she doesn't look up and keeps lifting different bones to examine more closely.

"Did you get a chance to eat because I have a half of a sandwich in the break room if you want it?" She can see that Temperance is engrossed in her work but if she doesn't interrupt her while she's working she'll never get to talk to her.

"No, I'm fine I had a salad and spinach pie but thanks Ange." Her voice fades some at the end of her sentence as she moves the magnifier over the piece she's holding.

"Spinach pie? Where did you go? I don't know of any good Greek restaurants around here except fast food and I know you didn't go through some drive through."

"No Ange, I…" She stops because she realizes what she was about to say. She shouldn't be talking while she's trying to work, it'll be too easy to slip. "I called ahead and picked it up on my way. It's a little place on the other side of the capitol building and I was already headed in that direction." She sets down the bone and turns toward her friend. "Next time I'll take you with me and you can try the food. It's pretty authentic but dining in is slow so I usually get a take out order." She sticks to the truth as much as she can without raising suspicion. Angela has a sense when something isn't right so she tries to be as casual as possible.

Angela looks satisfied and almost as an after thought hands Temperance the pages she's been holding. "There's something wrong with the depth markers on this woman's face. I wanted you to doubled check them because I was struggling with the drawing. If these are right she had some kind of facial deformity that I haven't captured in the rendering. That may be why we're not getting a hit from the missing person's network."

Temperance takes the report and looks it over before setting it down. She takes the skull over to another station, changes her gloves and begins working on it. Angela slips back to her office with a disturbed look on her face. She can't figure out why Cam didn't jump in when she told Bren that the face was deformed in some way. Before lunch she showed so much interest in this case that her apparent disinterest in such a major statement isn't right. Angela is sure something is going on with Cam but for the life of her she can't seem to pick up on what it is exactly. The only thing that she's sure of is that it has something to do with Brennan.

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Cam finally goes to her office and checks her computer system security detail. It appears that Dr Brennan has been working in her office when not on the platform. She took three phone calls and two of them made her smile which leads Cam to believe they were personal. She can barely hear the sound on the feed because the camera is across the room from the desk. It's the only place the unit could be hidden to show a view of the entire space. Well, the entire space except for a small area behind the door and in the bathroom.

After watching it for a while Cam decides the woman is actually quite boring. She works for hours at a time on the computer or writing reports without pausing to snack or stretch or anything. Her ability to focus is astounding and if Cam didn't hate her she'd be impressed by it. There is a moment that she notices her looking at the framed photo and smiling. She pauses and replays that section several times. Dr. Brennan knows exactly who sent that photo and why. She wonders if the reason she's hiding it is because it has something to do with Seeley. There isn't anything else revealing on the footage so once she watches her pack up for the day she shuts it off. Information is a waiting game, the person with the most patience _and the most expensive equipment_ wins in the end. She smiles because she knows eventually they will get another case from the FBI and Booth will be back in this building. She's going to find out once and for all who it is that Seeley is seeing instead of being with her.

Tbc….


	21. Chapter 21

Bathing Beauty

Chapter 21

Warning: M rating is for mature audiences due to tasteful but sexually explicit material.

A/N: Here we go, another chapter and the next one is already started so that's a good sign! Thanks for reading and as always your comments are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me but damn it, they should.

Cam is about to leave the building when she sees a security officer walking toward Dr. Brennan's office carrying another package. The item is beautifully wrapped so it's not a package, it's actually a gift. She wonders briefly if it's her birthday or if there's some personal occasion of which she's unaware. It would be like Brennan not to advertise a personal milestone. She can't think of a reason to head into her office so she returns to her own and flips on the computer to the surveillance program. She watches as Brennan signs for the package and then sets down her bags to open it. Once the pale blue wrap has been removed she can see a large silver and black box. It's the kind of box that screams expensive and Cam is more anxious than ever to know what's inside.

She watches Temperance remove the card and carefully open it. When she reads it the unthinkable happens, she begins to laugh. Cam can't remember the last time, if ever, that she has seen such happiness emanating from the normally stoic scientist. The card is put immediately in her bag and she lifts the side of the box to look inside. Cam is willing her with all her might to lift the item up so she can see it. To her great disappointment the box is shut and Temperance is wearing a very amused expression.

Cam is mad at herself; she should have gone to her office and found some reason to detain her so she could be there when it was opened. She strikes her desk in frustration and is about to turn off the monitor when Temperance does something that strikes her as very odd. She walks over to her closet and removes one of her lab coats. It's still covered in the plastic from the dry cleaners so she isn't taking it to be dropped off. With her bags securely tucked on her shoulder and the box and jacket in her other arm Cam watches her shut off the lights and leave.

Where would Dr. Brennan be going with a clean pressed lab coat? Is she moonlighting on a project? If so why would she be wearing her coat from the Jeffersonian? Could there be a project that is happening behind her back? There are currently no classes in session and no events going on that would require the forensic anthropologist's presence. As dedicated as Cam knows the good doctor can be she doubts that the woman is enough of a work freak to wear her lab coat around the house at night. She wasn't leaving with it until after the package arrived so she assumes the two events are linked. What the hell was in that box? It had to mean something, an invitation, a meeting, a project, a case…something.

She shuts down her system and packs her bags. She is headed to the door when she remembers the conversation on the platform from earlier in the day. She walks down the long hall to the buildings security headquarters and takes a deep breath before entering. She walks up to the young man that delivered both of the packages today.

"Hi Dave, I have a few questions for you. Are all incoming packages x-rayed before delivery?" He has his coat on so Cam knows she's catching him on the way out the door which she thinks will work to her advantage.

"No mam, expected and stock deliveries with proper labeling can be delivered directly to their department. The deliveries that are x-rayed are anything without a return address going to artifacts or forensics." His entire speech tells her that although his job is to protect the building and staff his personality is that of a follower.

"So the packages that you delivered to Dr. Brennan today were both x-rayed?" His expression changes to concerned as he pauses.

"Yes, both were x-rayed. Was there a problem with one of the boxes? Dr. Brennan hasn't been injured has she?"

It takes everything in her not to roll her eyes and tell him his precious Dr. Brennan is fine but she refrains. "No, Dr. Brennan is fine but I'd like to see the x-ray from the delivery that was made to her about a half an hour ago." He doesn't hesitate and she sighs with relief when he turns to go retrieve it. He comes back and hands her a large brown envelope and she heads for the door.

"Dr. Saroyan I can let you look at that here but the x-rays are not allowed out of this area." She stops and almost starts laughing because she pegged him as a follower and that did include being a stickler for rules.

"Of course Dave, if you'll just give me a moment, I know I'm keeping you so I'll make this quick." He nods and steps to the side so she has room on the table to set her things down and hold the film up to the light. She suppresses a gasp when she sees the contents. It's some type of lacy bra, possibly a corset, several pair of underwear and a packet containing thigh high hose. The items are stacked so she can't make out the details but the intent of the buyer is crystal clear. Sliding the large sheet back in its sleeve she couldn't be more stunned. If Dave has seen this x-ray it's no surprise he's concerned about Dr. Brennan, she's probably the lead in most of his fantasies. Hell if circumstances were different she'd be a little turned on by picturing the conservative self contained woman wearing that outfit.

She hands the envelope back to him and offers her sweetest smile. "Thanks Dave at least I know we won't be wearing the same thing to the next office party." His cheeks immediately flush with color and Cam smiles as she heads out the door.

She sits in her car for a minute to gather her thoughts. She holds her phone up to her ear so anyone watching will think she's finishing a call. So Dr. Brennan has a wild side, it shouldn't come as such a shock really. Anyone that deals with death all the time has to have some kind of an outlet. She would not, however, have guessed that Temperance Brennan had a sexual kink. It isn't just the underwear that tells the story but the lab coat too. Cam has to know who would have sent such a gift. Seeley never bought her anything like that when they were together so this throws doubt on the idea of them as a couple. She frowns in frustration as she realizes that the more she discovers the less she seems to know.

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Seeley has spent most of his time thinking about the fantasy since the moment he realized she was serious. Bones has never been a woman that backs down from a challenge. There have been so many fantasies in his head over the years that he's overwhelmed at first. It seemed for a while that every case sparked some spectacular half naked vision of her in his head. He couldn't help it really; he is after all a healthy red blooded American male with all his hormones firing. It just became almost habit that she was his trigger.

Ever since he danced with her in that little western town he had a whole bunch of cowgirl fantasies that he created. He considered the one involving cowboy boots and a mechanical bull competition at the local bar. There was also a version in which she wore only leather chaps and rode him through the night. He had popped the snaps on her western shirt in one and taken her for a roll in the hay in another. He could hardly wear his own cowboy boots anymore without getting an erection.

He considered telling her to wear her Wonder woman outfit. There's always an endless supply of scenarios in which that character works. In some of them she's actually rescuing him and then he finds all kinds of ways to thank her, in others they are heroes together. He has even used her own truth rope on her and made her admit to her burning desire for him. He has never been so inspired by a Halloween costume.

There have been fantasies at the range, in lingerie, in ball gowns and work out attire. He even had one involving those ugly rubber boots she sometimes wears. Then when he thought he was starting to level off they ended up in Vegas and she became Roxie. The idea of Roxie made his balls ache for weeks. In those fantasies he always dominated her, manhandled the purring sex kitten she had played all too well. She would surrender herself to him with a bat of her lashes and plenty of enthusiasm. Roxie would always be special to him.

He let his mind peruse so many possibilities, Temperance as a waitress, a French maid, a karate teacher, a stripper giving him a lap dance, a librarian, a park ranger, a circus performer…and so many more. Every image tied to a case in some way. He turned them all over in his head with great care as he tried to choose a clear favorite. Just after lunch the answer hit him and there was no more thought required. In truth the only choice was to go with the single sexiest vision in his head and that was simply her. He had started fantasizing from the first time he had watched her all buttoned up in her lab coat giving orders at the Jeffersonian. She's the image that really fuels his fire; the rest of it is just a costume change.

He slips out of work after his last meeting and is stopped at a light when he sees the lingerie shop and the idea of the sexy scientist fully forms in his mind. He pays the clerk forty bucks to get it delivered within two hours and another ten to wrap it for him. He's concentrating on the way home so that he doesn't speed to get there. He has to shower and get dressed and he's so hard he's a little uncomfortable. He takes a deep breath and tries to slow down so he can savor the anticipation of the evening. As it is it's going to take all his self control to make the evening last more than five minutes.

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Temperance gets into her apartment and sets down her bags. She actually has a lot to do and not a lot of time before Seeley will be there. She lights candles in each room to make it smell good since she didn't cook and pulls out fliers for pizza. She rinses off in the shower, does her hair and make-up and then gets her gift box and sets it on the bed. She removes each piece and lifts it to examine it more closely. He gave her choices or maybe he wasn't sure of her size. She laughs to her self as she thinks of him trying to shop for these items. He must have been highly motivated. There's a piece that's similar to a corset in a deep red color. The bottom flairs and falls in soft folds that are sheer enough to still see through. The intricate lace covering the breast stops and there's embroidered openings where her nipples protrude through. In keeping with the theme she notes that the matching lace panties have an opening down the center that is tied closed with a bow between her legs.

A tingling sensation runs across her belly as she looks at the items he picked out for her. There's a satiny pink bra which also has the nipple holes and she finds it incredibly erotic that he has revealed so much with his choices. The pink underwear has delicate ribbons that tie on each hip and she smiles. There are two pair of thigh high nylons and a faux leather thong that has her attention for a moment.

Temperance can feel her desire now like a pulse between her legs and clenches her thighs searching for even an iota of relief. She pulls on the wine colored underwear and then a pair of the thigh highs before slipping on her jeans. It'll make her change later much faster. The corset is not going to fit under even her heavy sweater without being noticed so she opts for the pink bra. As soon as she puts it on her breathing shallows. Her nipples harden and ache as she tugs them through the holes and adjusts the fit. She considers changing the underwear because at this rate they're going to be soaking wet before he even arrives. She pulls the sweater over her head and the material drags over her beaded tips. She gasps loudly into the room and squeezes her eyes closed to try and calm herself. Of course this is the purpose of this bra, well this and easy access. She wants desperately to grasps her nipple and tug at it while sliding her other hand into her jeans but she feels like it would be spoiling the evening. Having desert before dinner so to speak would be bad manners on her part.

She was surprised by his choice of fantasy. Having seen him with his comic book and beer helmet she thought he might go with the Wonder Woman Halloween outfit. She had also considered the ever popular nurse or maids uniforms which actually she could have made work. In all her ruminating though it had never occurred to her that he would have her dress in her lab coat as herself. As she thinks about it a rush of feelings she doesn't really understand whirl inside her. Suppressing the panic that washes through with them she continues getting ready.

She puts the rest of the lingerie into a drawer and hangs her lab coat in her closet before heading out to the kitchen. Every move she makes arouses her to the point of distraction. She focuses on the pizza fliers and tries to shift into a casual gear so that she isn't wound so tightly. Even though she's expecting him the sound of her doorbell makes her heart pound faster. She glances out the peep hole and freezes. What in the world would bring Dr. Saroyan to her door after work? She's holding some files but Temperance knows there is no case pressing enough to warrant a visit to her home. Her instincts tell her not to move. Behind her she hears her phone start to ring and glances through the peep hole to see Cam tilt her head and listen. Temperance doesn't move, barely breathes as she waits for the fourth ring to send her voice into the room from her answering machine. As her message sounds she takes the few quick steps to the unit and at the end of her greeting turns the volume down to low. She barely hears Seeley's voice as he tells her he hopes she's just in the shower and let's her know he's on his way but he has stopped to get a bottle of red wine to go with their pizza.

After a moment she eases her way back to the door and glances through the hole once more in time to see Cam turn and slowly go down the hall. She's grateful that Seeley decided to stop for wine so that he didn't run into Cam in her building. It strikes her suddenly that she's hiding out in her own apartment and she's not even sure why. She didn't want to answer the door with her sweater announcing her state of arousal and her overall look a testament that she was waiting for a date but that's not all. She doesn't want anyone to know about her relationship with Seeley yet. She's surprised by how protective she feels of the relationship and at the same time is driven to question why. Is it because she knows he used to see Cam? Would she have reacted the same way if Angela was at the door? No but she knows that she does trust Ange and that she certainly _doesn't_ trust Cam. She sighs heavily thinking that she'll have to discuss this with Seeley later because he'll be able to shed some light on the dynamics.

The doorbell sounds again and she looks out before popping the lock and swinging it open. Everything else slips to the background when she opens the door. It can all wait until later because right now she has plans. He's grinning at her and as his eyes drop down and take in the obvious outline through her thin sweater she watches them darken and his expression shift. He already knows she's wearing the bra. When he looks back up to her face her brow is raised in question.

"You look amazing." As soon as the words leave his mouth they both start to laugh. "I didn't mean that the way it came out, you look beautiful tonight even without the…enhancement." She smiles and as the color flushes her cheeks she gets that almost shy look that still amazes him. She walks into the kitchen and his appreciative gaze moves over her as he follows. She leans her elbows on the counter and reads the pizza fliers. Her concentration is waning as the material of her bra stretches and her nipples tighten. The constant stimulation makes them hypersensitive to the brush of the material and she suppresses a small gasp. He presses his hips to her ass and looks over her shoulder to read. She can feel his erection and it takes all her control not to turn around and just strip him down. She reminds herself that this night is not about her needs, at least not yet.

"So where should we call and what do you want on your pizza?" His hand settles on her waist and he feels her quiver in response. He considers ditching the rest of the plans and just hauling her up on the counter. He squeezes his eyes shut and holds his breath as he counts. When he opens them he steps next to her and removes his hand. He has to get a grip on this thing.

"Okay, lets see, pizza should come from Ella's. There's nothing like wood fired pizza for excellent flavor. They have all those gourmet toppings so you can pick anything you like." She smiles because she knows he's being nice to her.

"What, no lecture on how pizza should only be eaten in the classic style of cheese and pepperoni and not polluted with things like feta cheese and spinach?" She gives him a side glance before walking to the phone. "Last chance Booth, what do you want on your pizza?"

"Cheese and pepperoni on my half and tomato, spinach and feta cheese on your half and a family style salad should do it." He hears her laugh as she dials the phone and places the order. When she comes back into the kitchen he's opening a bottle of red wine, a sweet Merlot from a small vineyard in the Midwest. She knows that she's moving differently and finds it interesting that just wearing the underwear he picked out feels extra sexy somehow. It's when he's pouring the wine that she remembers her visitor.

"I had a surprise earlier this evening, Cam came by but I'm not sure why." Noting his expression of surprise she continues, "You were due any minute and I was still getting ready when the bell rang so I didn't answer. I'm glad I checked the peep hole though because I almost assumed it was you and just opened the door. She was carrying some files but we don't have a pressing case so I really have no idea what she felt couldn't wait until tomorrow." She takes a sip of her wine and is pleasantly surprised at how much she likes it; she isn't usually a big fan of Merlots.

"Was there something you were working on that you forgot at work that she could have thought was important?" She watches him shift his weight and straighten up into his FBI stance.

"No, I was finishing reports in my office most of the afternoon and we had already discussed at length the bones I'm currently examining. Besides, it's a limbo case and I'm the only one that ever seems to have a sense of urgency about those."

"You just ignored the bell? That's not like you." As he watches she sits up in her chair and takes a deep breath. His eyes drop to the rise of her chest and linger for a moment before returning to her face.

"I really wasn't dressed for any visitor except you at that point so I just stayed very still and waited for her to leave." He starts to chuckle at the image of her hiding in her own apartment from Cam. "I was worried that she was going to run into you on the way out but then you called and said you were running a few minutes late so she missed you."

"Well what ever she wanted you can find out in the morning." He stops as the door bell chimes and then in long exaggerated steps he tip toes over and looks out her door. "Just the pizza guy so the coast is clear." He hears her laughing behind him as he retrieves their dinner and he can't help grinning himself.

She's hungry and the scent of the food is remarkable but part of her mind is still on the activities yet to come. She pulled a few items together when she got home to try to set the scene for him but for some reason she's still nervous. She tries to dismiss the feeling, it's not like this is the first time she's having sex with him. Despite her efforts the fluttering in her stomach continues. She distracts herself by getting plates and napkins and topping off their wine glasses before sitting back down.

"So what are you planning on doing with Parker this weekend?" She watches him pull off pieces of pizza and deposit them on the plates.

"I don't have Parker this weekend, that's why I'm trying to get our skydiving scheduled. Rebecca is taking him to her mom's for the weekend because her mom is having hip replacement surgery next week and she wanted to spend some time with Parker before she goes in to the hospital."

"Will you get him the following weekend then?" She knows the time is coming when she'll be spending more time around Parker and she isn't sure how that's going to go.

"Yes and I wanted to take him to the science museum so I thought you might like to join us. There are all kinds of hands on activities that help kids learn the concepts but if he has questions about anything I think you'd be better equipped to answer him." He eats and tries to be casual about asking her to spend the next two weekends with him and include his son in one of them. When she doesn't immediately answer he is suddenly afraid he's blown it.

"I used to love the science museum when I was his age. I could literally spend the entire day there watching the displays. They only had a few activities that we were allowed to do back then but I was hooked. One of the rooms had a table with microscopes on it and each one had something different on the slide. After I went there for the first time I started asking for a microscope and I was relentless about it. My dad finally brought an old one home from school so I'd have something to use until I got one for Christmas." He's looking at her expectantly and for a second she can't figure out why. "Oh, so I would love to go with the two of you."

"Great, I'll call and make sure Rebecca has him up and ready to go that morning." He continues eating and tries to keep his eyes from wandering down her body. "What did you look at under your microscope once your father brought you one?" He likes to encourage her when she indulges in conversations about her childhood. He thinks remembering the good things from her past can only help her.

She looks hesitant for just a second before continuing as though she's measuring whether or not he's serious. "Everything I could get my hands on went onto a slide. In just a couple of months I had several hundred slides all labeled and categorized. I looked for structural patterns in material, cellular structure in plants and micro organisms and dust mites from around the house."

"How did you end up studying bones?" As she talks he can see the young Temperance with her brow creased in concentration and stands of her dark hair escaping her pony tail as she studies each slide.

"A couple of months later I was with my brother, we had ridden our bikes down to a set of railroad tracks that passed not far from our house. He was showing me how he had left some pennies on the tracks and at night when the train came through they had been flattened into smooth copper ovals. We started to walk down the tracks to look for the coins he had left and I came across a dead turtle. It had been dead for over a year because the bones were pretty clean and what little flesh remained had been leathered by the sun. I put all the pieces I could find into my pockets and took it home. I spent the next few days cleaning it and trying to put it back together. The bones were so white and smooth that I could tell how it had been hit just from the breaks and cracks. I learned that every bone I looked at told me something and I think from that moment on I was completely fascinated." She blushes when she stops because she realizes that she was lost in the story.

"Wow, I never had a defining moment like that in my life. I had family and financial situations that I was reacting to and ended up in the military and then the FBI because of them. I don't know what I would have done with my life if I had unlimited options."

"I can't really see you doing anything else because your job is so much a part of you and you seem genuinely happy doing it. Possibly teaching though, you would be a good teacher. Who knows, maybe if you had unlimited choice you would still have ended up where you are today." He smiles at her and pushes his empty plate to the side.

"I like very much where I am today." His mood shifts in that one sentence and she can feel the warmth in her spread.

"Really because I think you could be a little closer." He stands and takes her hand to pull her to her feet and right up against him. He moves his lips down her neck, nipping lightly as he goes.

"Is this close enough?" His breath is hot against her skin and it sends a chill through her. She grasps his hips in her hands and grinds herself against his erection.

"Hhmmm, almost." A loud groan escapes him as he rocks into her in response.

"You're killing me here Temperance." He hears her laugh softly and then to his disappointment she steps away from him. She hands him his glass of wine off of the table and gestures toward her sofa.

"Why don't you go sit down for a minute and I'll clean up and slip into something more appropriate." He automatically grins and walks into the other room because he knows this means she's going to change. His penis grows almost painfully hard as he thinks about what she's going to do.

It only takes her a moment to deal with the kitchen and then she's in her bedroom slipping into the corset and lab coat. Shes glad she had the underwear and thigh highs already in place because when she pulls on her lab coat and steps into her stilettos she's done. She takes a silver table cloth that has only been used during the holidays and spreads it over the kitchen table. She gets her reference skeleton from her office and lays it out next. Then she gets the floor lamp from next to her desk and sets it up in the kitchen, bending the flexible neck so it shines like a work light onto the skull. She checks her pocket to make sure she has gloves and then grabs a clip board and pen to add to the overall picture. The effect is primitive but she thinks the scene will be real enough for Seeley. She pulls out her cell phone and calls his number, hanging up after she hears it ring from the other room.

When he sees her name on the caller I.D. he jumps up and then composes himself so he can walk calmly into the kitchen.

_Let the games begin…_

tbc


End file.
